For too long, I thought I needed a doctorate, multiple certificates, or a list of professional qualifications to contribute my work, perspective, and thoughts to the collective conversation.
This approach kept me in a loop of endless learning from everyone else, all the greats and gurus.
Don’t get me wrong I’m a permanent and passionate student in the school of life, but over the last few months, I’ve realized I need to put down the pencil, stop my furious note-taking, and stretch my legs.
It’s time to clear my throat and stand up from my wooden desk and walk to the front of the classroom because…
I have comments to make.
I have stories to tell.
I have experiences to share.
I have wisdom to pass on.
I have art to express.
I have perspectives to offer.
I have support to give.
I have adventures to lead.
The problem with being a self-proclaimed lifelong learner is I forget to also embody my innate role as a mentor-teacher-guide.
For me, enrolling as a student is safer because it equates to more silence than speaking up, more doing what I’m told than directing others in what to do.
I can sit in the back row, observe, and critique, raising my hand only when I need further clarification or instruction.
The traditional school system sets us up to be passive consumers, afraid to leave the classroom, graduate and launch ourselves into the world and gain practical skills.
The better approach, one we can impart to kids from a young age, is to see ourselves as both the student and the teacher. It takes the emphasis off grades and degrees, removes the pedestals and power struggles, and makes us all experts from day one.
We don’t earn our right to share.
We don’t need to be at a certain age before we teach someone else.
We don’t require years of higher education before calling ourselves competent and professional.
We’re all confident sages and inquisitive scholars.
I’ve wrongly assumed I needed a shiny collection of advanced degrees before I try my hand at anything new, before I speak with compelling conviction, before I give my honest opinion.
I cautiously tip-toe my way towards interesting career endeavors and refuse to put myself out there for fear I haven’t gained the perfect amount of proficiency.
I’ve nurtured my curiosity, but I did so at the expense of also growing my confidence. I can and must possess an abundance of both to flourish.
So, I ask you, where are you at the spectrum?
Perhaps your butt is aching from sitting at the desk too long. Then friend it’s time to exit the sterile confines of the classroom you’ve created.
Snag these mantras for yourself:
I have comments to make.
I have stories to tell.
I have experiences to share.
I have wisdom to pass on.
I have art to express.
I have perspectives to offer.
I have support to give.
I have adventures to lead.
Please by all means keep and wear your lifelong student badge proudly because it’s exactly what makes you a qualified teacher.
But don’t hide in the back row behind piles of notebooks and self-made curriculum, administering exams to yourself, and never releasing your inner guru along with the valuable insights you’ve gained from simply walking in your own skin.
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What have you been waiting for…in your career, your dreams, your life, or your relationships?
What if it’s true- you aren’t lacking anything? How does this change the way you think about your next step forward?
