A five course feast of learning

Tim's Rapid Fire Learning piece inspired me to think about November's learning highlights as a five course meal:

Appetizer: Curiosity about our different cultural traditions really whetted my learning appetite this month.  I loved explaining about what Guy Fawkes means to me, and learning more about what Thanksgiving means to folk in the US

Starter: I'm still in the starting phase of my writing coach business.  It's a steep learning curve, and I'm discovering new delights every day.  What's hard is getting my focus right - acknowledging small steps forward, keeping an eye on the long term goal (without getting disheartened), capturing positive feedback to boost my gratitude levels and keep me motivated, learning new ways to market and promote my business without getting overwhelmed at the amount still left to do...

Main course: I tend to be more of a starter and pudding girl myself, and often find main courses the hardest part to work through.  Yet that's where the substance and the nutrition lies - and maybe this is where we work through our real, as opposed to ideal, values.  My schedules have been thrown in the last couple of weeks by the arrival on my doorstep of a friend in great need - reminding me that this is one of the challenges of a home based business, but also of what's important to me - friendship over business any day.  And as Liz Strauss reminded me (in a most well-timed post - how did she know?) gratitude and generosity go hand in hand, inseparable, like lifelong friends.

Pudding: Hmm, the delights of the sweet course.  Blogging for me is sweet delight, the pleasure of meeting new people, of connecting conversations, of learning joyfully and jubilantly.  Writing every day (through multiple blogs!) helps to keep me feeling sunny and sweet - when I don't find the time for it, I get cranky.

Post dinner drink: Sit back, stretch out, look back at the period of time gone by.  Whether that's a day, a month or a year, making the time for reflection is a fabulous way to build up your gratitude muscles.  And like Tim, I feel better about life when I'm grateful for it.

Thanks to everyone at JJL for making November another five course feast of learning.

Comments

[Liz Strauss]

Just like you, Joanna,
To cook up such a great post. :)

Thank you for the kind words. I loved reading every word of this.

[Rosa Say]

What a wonderful way to recap your learning this month Joanna! Just as Liz says, this was a delight to read, and you gave me some warm remembering of my own month too: Mahalo nui loa.

[Joanna Young]

Hi Liz, it's lovely to see you here. You so often write just the right thing at just the right time for me (and no doubt others), it's one of the things I wanted to say thank you for

Rosa, I know November is one of your favourite months. Thank you for encouraging us to focus on gratitude and thankfulness here this month - it's been wonderful.

Joanna