“Your best teacher is the person offering you your greatest challenge.” Cheryl Richardson

I may have already shared this quote, but this one certainly bears repeating. I first heard this quote from my friend, Terry. Terry always has amazing quotes to offer at exactly the right moment. But let me tell you a little something about this quote, when it gets presented to you as a point of reflection, it is about the very last thing you want to hear!

When we are dealing with a person who is a particular challenge, the last thing we want to hear is, “He will be your greatest teacher.” Argh! No! But if we can harness a moment of maturity (and by, “we,” I mean me), we can see how this person is teaching us something that we may not want to learn right now, but we need to learn it.

I had an exchange the other day with a person who is the polar opposite of me. I was moving at my usual 100 mph, and them, well, not so much. I was instantly frustrated, but eventually I found a moment to reflect. I was able to see the teacher in him. I was able to slow down and learn that maybe fast isn’t always best. By mirroring his pace and answering all of his questions, I gleaned a better understanding of him and our topic. But here is the extra bonus: when we have a person who is a challenge and we look for our teacher within them, the massive frustration instantly melts away. We now see them as someone who is helping us learn to be a better version of ourselves. Good to know, right?

Let’s GO! WE GOT THIS!
Beth