The Learning Hero and Entheos
As part of our True Learning Centre programs we use Australian Sign Language (AUSLAN) to teach people the phrase 'I am a learning hero'. The AUSLAN dictionary describes the word hero as "a one handed sign in which the pointing finger of the right hand is pressed twice into the puffed right cheek of the face". We are not sure why this sign word means hero but our thinking is that anyone with the courage to stand up in public and point a finger into their puffed right cheek must be a hero! Everyone laughs at this idea. Yet, perhaps it is true.
What are the characteristics of being a learning hero? Perhaps it's standing out from the crowd, being willing to take the risk of being ridiculed, or helping other people to laugh. Let's consider some other possibilities of what helps make us a Learning Hero.
1. CURIOSITY
They say it killed the cat but I am not so sure.
We are born with a curiosity for exploration and using all of our senses to explore helps our neurons to stretch and interconnect. Robert K. Greenleaf, the founder of the Centre for Applied Ethics, (later renamed the Robert K. Greenleaf Centre in honour of his life-long learning and teaching) says that we should all be seekers. He believes that there are two main kinds of seekers, those who seek to find and those who seek to seek. Seeking to seek is the sustaining of our curiosity, the joy of finding mystery in life and in the never ending questions that emerge from it.
2. PASSION
A Learning Hero is someone who has passion in their life.
In 1991, at the SALT conference, I had the joy of meeting three time American Olympic athlete, Marilyn King. After her second Olympic games, Marilyn was in a serious car accident. She damaged her back and doctors told her she would not compete again. Marilyn believed she would compete again and even though she was unable to train out on the track, in her mind she passionately imagined herself competing. She would walk out to the hurdles and imagine herself jumping over them (with great passion). Six months prior to the Olympic trails Marilyn began physical training again even though her coaches said six months of training would never be enough to make it. Marilyn believed all her time in passionate imagining was equal to the physical training she put in and, yes, she made the team!
Mental rehearsal of success is good, but passionate mental rehearsal of success makes a Learning Hero.
3. PERSISTENCE
Some people have a vision in life and some make the decision to do something about their vision. But vision and decision might not be enough to be a Learning Hero. We need to add action and persistence to the equation. One of the magic characteristics of persistence is KAIZEN. Literally translated from its original Japanese, KAIZEN means small, seemingly insignificant, on-going, continuous and never ending improvements. In a simple song (sung to the tune of Mary has a Little Lamb )
Kaizen is a little bit
little bit
little bit
Kaizen is a little bit
improving everyday.
My wonderful friend and fellow TLC trainer Andrew Belotti (Botts) said he never fully appreciated Kaizen to its fullest until the morning he woke up and discovered that he couldn't move. He sought medical attention and was told that he had contracted Guillain-Barre Syndrome, pronounced Geeh-yan Bar Ray or GBS. GBS is a rare form of polyneuritis which inflames the nerves of the body resulting in the rapid onset of weakness and a paralysis of the legs, arms, face and breathing muscles. The noted author of Catch 22, Joseph Heller, wrote about his experience with GBS in No Laughing Matter.
Botts is making remarkable progress with new kaizens everyday. As well as doing his own exercise program, he spends time helping others with their recovery. Botts meets the criteria for being a Learning Hero in that he maintains optimism, humour and care. He calls upon his vast array of crayons (talents) to deal with the challenges he faces and is looking at what he can learn from his experience...
On his road to recovery Andrew looks for Kaizen all the time. Two weeks ago he couldn't lift his finger, now he can move it a millimetre - thats Kaizen! Each day Botts looks for the Kaizen and persists with his very painful exercises in order to re-stimulate his muscles, nerves and movement.
4. HUMOUR
Some people use humour to put down other people in an attempt to make them feel bad. A Learning Hero uses humour to celebrate life, to find laughter in the everydayness of living, and to stimulate an attitude of joy. In the early 1960's American Journalist, Norman Cousins was diagnosed with an incurable illness. In his wonderful book Anatomy Of An Illness he writes about how positive humour was part of his remarkable recovery. Mr Cousins wrote his book many years after he was supposed to be 'dead' and lived until 1990 when he died at age 76.
The philosopher and writer Ashley Montague said that he "wished to die as young as he could, as late in life as possible". His philosophy of NEOTENY means to retain the childlike wonder and humour in life and blend it with the wisdom of experience. We all know the saying the person who laughs last, laughs best. Perhaps we should change it to the person who laughs, lasts.
5. AWE
To live with a sense of awe means that we live with thanks and appreciation of life and learning. It means that we continue to explore the range and depth of the talents inside each of us and know that we can use our talents to contribute to our own growth, the growth of others and to our Home Planet Earth. Robert K Greenleaf says that part of this sense of awe is the development of a philosophy of being a SERVANT-LEADER. We can choose to serve others as a means of living and through this service we then choose to lead others. Greenleaf says the real measure of being a servant-leader is when those we serve grow. While being served, they become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous and more likely to become servants themselves.
Helen Keller said that all of us who have sight should live life as if tomorrow we will be struck blind. That we should live in awe and marvel at the natural things around us, taking the time to smell the flowers, to acknowledge friendship and to nurture love.
Being a Learning Hero is being a lover of the on-going journey of life: a dedicated life-long learner who celebrates the challenges. It is the babe who, after falling down, gets up to take another step. It is our curiosity, passion, persistence, humour and awe all rolled into one word, and that is ENTHEOS - the sustaining power of enthusiasm. Entheos is about being a person of faith and optimism who deals with the challenges of life as opportunities to learn and grow. A Learning Hero is a living, breathing example of Entheos.
Glenn Capelli is the Director of the True Learning Centre in Western Australia and an IAL (International Alliance For Learning) Board member. His Entheos tape set and songs are available here.
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True Learning Centre
Quality & Esteem Based Education & Training
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E-mail: info@glenncapelli.com