Onwards and Upwards No. 26
Hello my healing team,
I hope this update finds you well.
I hope you had a very merry Christmas and enjoyed your New Years festivities. I have had a blast camping on the Rosebud (Victoria) foreshore and beach with Sarah and the kids, several of my brothers, sisters (inlaw) and my beautiful nieces. It is made extra special as I grew up here, living opposite the beach between the ages of 4 to 7. I recall the long summers where I would follow my older brothers around like a bad smell (rather like a little kid following his idols) as they got up to all kinds of mischief. As I watched their mischief, I watched and I learned.
It was here, with my brothers, that I first rode a bike then slowly improved by going over jumps, doing mono’s and riding with no hands. I learnt how to swim, first in the pool, then at the beach. At the beach, I had to be able to swim out to the boating ‘nav poles’ (roughly 400m) if I was to be good enough to keep up with my brothers. With practice, I did. Another challenge was to pick up animals with out getting bitten. I learnt how to catch crabs and blue tongue lizards with my bare hands. But I still cannot bring myself to pick up a huntsman spider with bare hands. I have to use a towel to pick up those little buggers. I’ll happily leave that one to my brothers.
As I reminisce, I see that I was always learning. Back then, my learning came every time I hung out with my brothers. Now, I find that I have to seek out the opportunity to learn. I have to work hard to be as inquisitive as I was when I was a 6 year old, because if I am not inquisitive, the learning opportunity will pass right by me without me even recognising it. It is so easy to miss the opportunity. So what do I do to learn? I sit back and observe. I ask questions. I read. I try to be inquisitive. I want to learn so I can continue along a path of self improvement, and so that I can continue to be challenged.
What do you do to remain inquisitive and to keep learning? Whatever it is, take it into hyperdrive and enjoy. All the best for 2016!
Take care
Geoff
