We spend a lot of time in our lives on acquiring skills and knowledge. Our children are expected to go to college. We look to hire people with skills.
With anticipation and excitement we read or watch “something” that shares “stuff” that is new to us. Our new knowledge makes for interesting conversation. With practice, we can now do something we couldn’t do very well before.
All of these things are good. I would be the first to encourage you to continue learning for there is so much we don’t know or understand.
Our success in life though, will always matter less by what we know and more of how we embrace, interact, cooperate, treat and work with people. Knowledge gains us entry into new and different worlds but it does not guarantee our success within them.
So much of our success and enjoyment in life is captured in our minutes of interactions with others throughout each of our days. With our spouse, with our children, with our co-worker, partner or with our team.
Your technology, your knowledge and your skills are impressive but not very sufficient. They sadly lack what is necessary to empower our lives. You see, what you know is not always that important.
It’s more important to learn how to act, share, listen, care, cooperate, respect, behave, and think about and with others. Learning that we, as humans, make more mistakes in judgment reminds me often how imperfect we are.
Controlling our ego for another’s best interest or listening to make someone feel better instead of making them believe you are right are very difficult tasks. Self-discipline, time management, better eating habits, more exercise…..the list goes on and on. All difficult for us to do.
We deceive ourselves in thinking that our skills develop our humanity. In reality, they only expose our weakness as humans, at a time in the world, where social connection has become the major focus. They distract us from seeing that we have a great impact on our interaction with others.
Our successes always come together with the help of others. Our most meaningful relationships depend greatly our our skill to be human. Imperfect. Sometimes unsure. Yet always grounded in love.
Work accomplishments always need a great deal more of our humanity than we think. In communicating, in sharing, in sometimes believing, trusting, and respecting others so that together with those around you, your life, your thinking, and your accomplishments can be amplified throughout the world for the benefit of others.
Start by smiling when you see the next person. It’s simple. Direct. And can be very, very powerful. It’s the only way our heart can share with someone else that we understand they too, are human.