If you “know everything” then you will never know anything!
I sat with a client a few days ago as this person continuously shot down everything I pointed out, everything I suggested, and was energetically acting the know it all.
Today in thinking back over this encounter I am reminded of a moment in my own life when I was what I considered very coachable or teachable.
In all honesty we will ebb and flow with our teachability but this moment that I flash back to was this…
Sitting in a mentors office as I shared on a story and throughout the session I kept saying “I know, I know” by calling myself out prior to her getting to call me out.
At one point she asked if she could point something out and in eagerness agreed to hear what she had to say. She made mention that my response that session was consistently “I know”. As I drove home that day I remember thinking about another mentor I had been working with at the time and how I had also fallen into the same pattern there.
Now even at that time I knew I didn’t know everything and I had not become totally unteachable… the fact is that by even making the flippant comment, “I know , I know”, I instantly lowered my teachable spectrum.
I believe that oftentimes we DO see things partially in our lives. Especially if we are putting in effort and trying to do our work. Though we still will have our blindspots. We might be able to see it from a mental standpoint but have we really embodied the message.
Head knowledge is all well and good but when we are doing personal growth work we must embody it fully. It’s not enough to just know something… if you knew it at a soul level then you would be changing or embodying. And if you aren’t then you probably still have something to learn form those around you (cough cough EVERYONE).
I ask you today to look at where you might be being a know it all in your life. If you have a friend or coach that is pointing something out to you then STOP and think… why is this person verbalizing this to me? What is the message I am needing to get?
If it is someone sharing something that you have already heard even about there own life then the question remains true… “What are they trying to tell me?”
Also, look at if you are TRULY willing and open to get feedback. Are you wanting to know it all? Are you wanting to defend your ego or grow? Are you willing to sit still and really take in another perspective?
If we aren’t being teachable then where do we need to make alterations?
If we are being teachable then where can we lean deeper into our teachings?
