017 | Learning Curve
If I had a nickel for every time I used the phrase “learning curve” this fall, I’d be able to buy myself a quad venti non-fat cappuccino at Starbucks. It has been a season when I have been learning new things out of necessity (Zoom, our new church management system) and out of curiosity (Instagram features, video editing).
As I learn new skills, inevitably I make mistakes and frequently think “oh, it would have been better to do it a different way.” This has created many opportunities to practice replacing old tapes in my head with new messages of self-compassion and encouragement. Another learning curve but one where I can feel the progress being made through a lightness in my spirit.
Naming that we are experiencing a learning curve and practicing self-compassion in the midst of learning is a beautiful way to cultivate sanctuary in our inward selves. These practices allow grace to flow freely and push back against self-judgment that can be harsh and unkind and so squelch the creative energy that develops as we learn new skills and acquire new knowledge.
This is not just an inward practice. Naming a learning curve and practicing compassion and encouragement with others is also a beautiful way to cultivate sanctuary in our relationships with friends, family, colleagues and neighbors.
In what area(s) of your life might you practice self-compassion because you are experiencing a learning curve?
What skill would you like to learn?
What is something you are curious about and would like to learn more?
