"It's what you learn after you know it all that really counts" - John Wooden
"The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know" - Albert Einstein
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" - Proverbs 9:10 NIV
The above quotes come from 3 very different places--a 10x national champion basketball coach, a famous astrophysicist, and a sacred work/best selling book of all time--yet they all they all share a similar essence: the more you learn, the more you are humbled by how little you actually know.
It is a common human journey. We start out ambitious and confident, perhaps even having initial success with our fresh and abundant energy. But somewhere down the line are taking to our knees by something we didn't see coming. A personal blind spot, a result we were warned about but didn't believe would happen to us, a more talented person, the averages kicking in, a tough break, etc. The writers of the above quotes knew what it was like on the other side of that spot. We can learn from them.
I think this is one of those concepts that no matter how intentional you are in anticipating it, one way or another, you probably are just going to have to take your hits to internalize it. But those hits can be made a lot easier to absorb if you know they are coming, and what good things you stand to gain from them.
Why is this important for me? Most if not all of us start out brash or over confident in one way or another. Especially in our youth. That's ok. That's being human. However, the quicker you can eat humble pie and realize you will never know it all--not even close--the better off you will be. The more wisdom and strength you will open up for yourself, as well. Stay the course and believe in yourself, but also acknowledge that there will always be things we don't know that we don't know. Relish the learning, the process, and the humility. It's actually a gift.
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