The love of learning

As a teacher I could be seduced by the gratitude I receive. I could be deceived into thinking I’m responsible for the learning that is taking place, for the voice that is expressing, for the love that is emerging. And to the extent I bring knowledge, deep listening and compassion, I contribute a great deal.

But the truth is much more gorgeous. Every student learns in his or her own way, and no teacher has all the diverse solutions within. The experience shared is so profound because teacher and student learn together. Both have to bring a passion for the unselfconscious exploration that is at the heart of the creative process.

If you have difficulty entering into that playful space of not knowing, for fear of embarrassment or failure, there are some things that can help you:

• Think of the worst possible thing that could happen and decide you could live on the other side of it.
• Use guided visualization to center your breath and focus your mind.
• Use the breath and the voice to reverse the symptoms of “fight or flight.”
• Remember times when the things you were learning catapulted your life into a new stage of awareness, and remind yourself of how you mastered that learning.
• Celebrate your successes!

Learning is life giving and it feels like falling in love because our creativity and procreativity are intimately related to one another. The essential thing to remember is that it is the love arising within that releases the voice into its full expression.

Love is diminished if it is attributed to another. We then fool ourselves into thinking it has to be returned to us. Remaining anchored in our capacity to generate love through listening and learning prepares us to radiate love through vocal realization and enlightened expression.