What have you learned today?

Today I learned how fortunate I am in my married life. I met Ruth to discuss some business and during out conversation to learn a bit about each other, she told me some of her marriage which ended after 31 years. She experienced emotional abuse and physical trauma from her ex-husband and she's now going through the courts to receive an equitable distribution of their assets, which he is fighting. I found Ruth a sweet woman who is very courageous.

So what did I learn? Well, my wife and I have disagreements and may talk to each other harshly at times, but we respect each other to pursue our passions and interests. Because Ruth's husband was controlling, she wasn't able to pursue her passion when she was married. This is just one example of what I learned today.

Everyday I experience learning opportunities, and one question is how aware of those chances I am. Recently I read a Dan Kennedy article about whether I (the reader) was oblivious to the businesses opportunities that abound around me everyday. That started me thinking about if I was aware of business and personal experiences, and I realized that I missed many changes around me because I would be lost in thought.

Last week, my wife Debbie and a friend drove from Sacramento to San Jose. They had to be in San Jose by 7 p.m.and figured if they left by 4 that she would arrive in plenty of time. What Deb didn't consider was rush hour traffic when she got to San Jose. They got to their destination a little after 7; fortunately, the appointment was running late and it worked out fine, but Deb experienced a large dose of anxiety. On this same trip, she parked out truck in a lot that required a parking permit; however since she was late and preoccupied, she neglected to get the permit. When she went to leave, our truck was gone! Towed away. MORE ANXIETY! She was able to get to the impound lot prior to its closing to retrieve the truck, but her wallet was $200 lighter. Ouch!

When Deb got home and told me about her trip, she called what happened "learning lessons." Will she learn to leave earlier when travelling to a larger metropolitian area? Only her future actions will tell. I remember reading the Charles Schwab "No Slack" concept several years ago where you add extra time into your travel estimate in case of travel problems. If I anticipate a trip taking an hour, I leave 90 minutes early just in case. If the trip only takes an hour, then I can use the 30 minutes to relax and prepare. Again, will Deb learn from this and the towing experience? I'll only know by her future actions and their results.

For many years, I've said that I can learn by observation (such as from my wife's experience), so I can avoid the negative personal experiences. Sometimes I'm right and I learn from obsering others experiences . . other times I'm not. When I'm not, hopefully I'm aware and can learn from the incident without repeating it too many times. Are you aware of of the learning experiences around you? What have you learned today and how will you use that information to change?