staying open to change

Nov 20

Dear Reader,

Learning often begins at the moment we least want it. Someone names something we missed or a result shows us our approach isn’t working. The human impulse is to tighten, to explain, or to find the part of the story that makes us look better. Being teachable begins before the explanation that we try to give. It is the brief and intentional choice to stay with what is being offered long enough to see if any of it might be true.

In practice, being teachable looks ordinary. You ask for a concrete example so you can see what the other person saw. You reflect back what you heard to be sure you understood it. You name one change you are willing to try so the conversation lands somewhere real. If the feedback only partly fits, you take the part that serves you and leave the rest without resentment. None of this requires perfection. It requires enough steadiness to keep listening.

Teachability actually protects connection. When harm has happened, the person across from you wants to know that their experience matters and that something will change because of it. If you can hold still long enough to take in the impact, trust begins to rebuild. The room feels safer because you were responsive when it counted.

Yours in the journey,