Teachers Influence

Who are the teachers in your life? 

We all have teachers influencing us regardless of our age. Teachers have teachers who influence their thinking, behaviors, and actions. 

When I use the word teacher, I am referring to people who hold the role in your life whom you receive instruction, guidance, and modeling. I am not speaking solely of the person in our society who participates in a position in a formal education system. For example, a supervisor in a restaurant may be an effective teacher to the business' employees which contributes to the effect of a very successful business.The teacher who influences your life may be someone you have never met in person and be a celebrity who through her public life has shown her authenticity, her growth, shared her life teachers, and as a result has taught you incredible ideas pushing you to explore your beliefs. The teacher who influences your life may no longer physically walk on this earth and their teachings are accessible in print or other forms of recorded history.

I ask the question because teachers influence who we are.

Sometimes, people who hold the role of teacher interact with you in such a way that what you learn is actually destructive to your ability to do your best at a specific time. I imagine that in most cases that interaction that held you back from the fullness of learning and growth was not intentional from the teacher. But the reality is, this can happen.

I have many teachers I can point to that I feel are key to my growth and learning as a human being. I am a teacher who has had many teachers. And, I expect the Universe to continue providing teachers for me.  

I challenge you to share below who the teachers are in your life and reveal the key lesson, event, or message that took place. You don't need to reveal a specific name (just label 'Teacher X' if you want). During the next few weeks I will be adding a series of posts revealing some of my teachers.

    "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." Henry Brooks Adams

Charred Fields

across the fields of stubble

flame stalks flame

David Cobb

I have seen the farmer's deliberate field burning. I can also recall May 18, 1980, when the beautiful blue sky of a Sunday morning turned suddenly a new shade of gray. Ash from Mt. Saint Helens fell from the sky and I was amazed at the power of nature, probably really felt it for the first time, as the mountain was 400 miles from my existing location.

I don't claim to fall into the "wise old woman" category but my observations of life so far --- this haiku says a lot. After a field has given all it is capable, a burning season is needed so that things can grow again. In life, the flames usually don't feel too great. Sometimes, just when we think the flames are finished, more arises. I remind myself, though, of the before and after images of the contemporary volcano. Once charred, it now now flourishes with growth.