Learning = Growing = Living
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ~ Lao Tzu.
I’ve listened to so many podcasts and watched many videos on successful people and what I’ve realized after 10+ years is they are all pretty much saying the same thing about change and growth in different ways. Like Lao Tzu above, Seneca said: “Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” You also have Stoicism and Bruce Lee: “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” All that time I had my headphones shoved into my ears have definitely helped me out to be where I am, and more importantly, who I am.
I’m past the halfway mark into my General Assembly Immersive Software Engineering course. This is intense. I’ve learned JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Node.js, AngularJS, JQuery, Ajax, RESTful routes, MVC structure and built three CRUD apps in 7 weeks! I thought I could learn quickly, which I can, but this speed is crazy. I hear my own worst enemy, myself, trying to talk me out of my confidence. “You’re not keeping up”, “You don’t really know this stuff”, “You’re uncomfortable.” I then realize, wait, this is exactly where I’m supposed to be. I’m supposed to feel this. This is what I’m prepared for.
I’m sure everyone goes through this. A friend of mine who has four marathons under his belt still has those questions before a race. I’m standing there like, are you insane? You’re a beast! Even with all that experience, he still has those thoughts, but it’s what we do about it that matters. It always is. Tony Robbins said, “Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you.” I’m not comfortable with writing blog posts, but I’m doing it because I want whoever comes here to know that I’m just like them. Whether it’s coding, lifting, running, etc, we have to choose our power. With me, it’s my faith, family, and all those books, podcasts, and videos I’ve seen. I use this to strengthen me and regain that perspective that I’m supposed to feel this. I’m on a path and it’s not a straight line. It’s all over the place, but I’ll get there. I’ll just keep coding, learning, growing and getting better every day because I have to. There is no other way to get what I want, and I want an opportunity. I want a chance to showcase my grit, perseverance, learning ability, and the ability to be like water.
For me, that’s what life is about. To grow, and you grow by being humble, confident, and knowing that things may not go your way, but that won’t stop you. I refuse to let it stop me. I’ve become this way because of those struggles, and walls. I won’t give up and I just realized something. Writing this blog, which I’ve already stated is uncomfortable, just made me hold myself accountable to the reader. If I don’t get an opportunity or if I give up, that means I won’t write anymore. So here I go again, I have to keep going. I have to show what it means to “be like water.”
