Learning Isn’t A Sign of Weakness, It’s A Sign Of Growth

Delving right into fifth gear before learning how to maneuver a gear stick into first has always been my downfall. I want to be a pro before I can spell professional and successful before I know the meaning of ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’. And it seems I’m not the only one. Being in a position of learning and having to ask questions can be a frightening prospect, but it’s often the best place to be. Why? Because you are LEARNING, and if you are taking in new pieces of information, making mistakes, and mostly feeling lost, you are in a massive place of growth.

Nobody likes to be the amateur in the room (or for purposes of current relatability, Zoom call). But guess what? Nobody is ever in a position where they know everything that they need to know. Even the pros have to constantly learn from their mistakes and successes in order to grow. It was Albert Einstein who said, “I have tried 99 times, but on the 100th time came success.” Trying and failing isn’t to be avoided, it is to be welcomed with open — or perhaps resistant — arms. Sometimes it’s about coming to that realization that not one single person in the world has acquired a state of perfection in any aspect of their lives.

The feelings of uncertainty are often associated with being vulnerable. After all, we all like to feel in control, whether it’s in our careers, education, friendships, or relationships. The feeling of being “out of control” is somewhat uncomfortable, and so naturally we are all guilty of avoiding this space of vulnerability when possible. But by doing that, we are ultimately limiting our ability to develop in these areas of our lives that require work. It is often within these spaces of fear and uncertainty that we realize just how powerful we can be and how much inner strength we really have. Where discomfort flows, personal development grows, after all. 

There’s often a misconception that once we reach a certain age or point in our lives, we stop pushing. We settle because settling means stability. And of course in some respects, this is sensible — for example, when holding the responsibility of a mortgage on your shoulders. But most of the time, we stop pushing because we are frightened of the ‘what ifs’ and the endless list of scary possibilities. What IF we flipped the ‘what ifs’ on their head and explored all the exciting opportunities and ventures we could find ourselves on if we dared to try?

Without causing too much anxiety, life is pretty uncertain. It is precious and a unique gift to each of us individually. We don’t give ourselves enough credit for surviving turmoil and overcoming difficult challenges. Even in the darkest of times, given time to heal and reflect, there is always a lesson to take. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes life can feel cruel and unfair, and there may be times where you can’t find justification for what you are experiencing. But hold on, you are doing so well. You have got this.