Learning

So over the winter break I got together with some old friends and we were reading over some of the things that we had written during high school. I've just realized what an interesting experience it was to go back and read what I had written two years ago. My friends and I shared a notebook where we would share our problems and our ideas and give out advice and encouragement. Seems pretty cool, right?

All the normal stuff was as I remembered it, lots of high school drama and lots of advice but there were a few surprises. I did not remember a page in one of the notebooks where we had all written down what we believed the meaning of life was. Now, it's kinda embarrassing to think about what your seventeen year old self would have said about the meaning of life but I can assure you that all of us there got to re-read what we had to say at the time. I was surprised to find out that I had given a really good answer. Like really good. I really don't remember exactly what I wrote because I read it two weeks ago but I can assure you that we were all kinda shocked at how good of an answer it was.

So I guess that the basic point of this is that I'm wondering when I stopped thinking about things like that? But at the same time I know that I never did stop thinking about those things, I just stopped writing them down. I still have these really strong opinions but I don't feel I have time to write them down. I also don't have the time to read the types of books that I was reading at the time. Random but strangely insightful books that made be grow spiritually.

I think that the biggest shocker about any new social situation is meeting all of these new and bright people who just completely throw you off your guard. You'll get caught up in how intelligent they are and forget the good ideas that you've had yourself. I've heard the same thing from a few of my friends who got a little intimidated when they came to college and then realized that all their new friends and acquaintances were budding theological geniuses.

It seems like the best way to handle a transition like that is to hold on to your core while adding to your insight. You know that there are ideas that you have that are good, that are interesting and that dons't mean that you shouldn't listen to what others have to say, because that's how you grow. Hopefully there is some sort of balance in between knowing yourself and learning from others where you can find a confidence to accompany you while your listing to everything overly intelligent that everyone else has to say.

Everyone has their brilliant moments, so don't overlook them. Especially not your own.