Learning, Walking, and Teaching

Three key roles we need to live a rare life

Teacher. Friend. Student. These are critical roles in our pursuit of a rare life. (Photo by Kyle Head on Unsplash)

Have you ever thought about the many roles you play in life? There are the obvious ones, such as child, parent, and spouse. Then there are more nuanced ones, such as citizen, leader, and servant.

While I enjoy the theatre, I’m admittedly not a great fan of Shakespeare (I know, I know…). But ole William offers a solid reflection on our roles in his play As You Like It:

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.

These roles are not only defined by who we are within ourselves, but also by who we are in relation to the people who intersect with our lives.

As we pursue what a rare life means to us, I believe there are three critical roles to develop. We need:

1. Someone to learn from

2. Someone to walk beside us

3. Some to teach

Someone to learn from

In many ways, we are the product of the people who have gone before us. Take a few minutes to think about it and you can probably list a dozen people who deeply influenced your life through their words and actions. We are who we are today because of what we learned from others along the way.

The scientist Sir Isaac Newton put it well when he said:

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

While he spoke about the collective knowledge of his predecessors in the scientific community, this concept extends to our one-on-one relationships — and in fact, that’s where it is most powerful.

We find a strong example in scripture in the life of Paul. His work as a missionary spread the Gospel far and wide. Yet he took the time to invest in the life of Timothy. What better mentor and teacher for a young man who had dedicated his life to the ministry?

Someone to walk beside us

The path we take through life seems to vary in breadth at different stages. At times it appears wide, with plenty of room for others to walk by our side. Then comes stretches where the path is so narrow there’s barely space for our own footsteps, let alone those of a companion.

It’s important that we develop relationships with those who will walk along with us no matter the condition of the trail. Narrow or wide. Smooth or rocky. Flat or inclined.

Journalist and broadcaster Walter Winchell said:

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.

Returning to our biblical example, Barnabas played this critical role well. Paul had much to accomplish, and his life as a missionary was difficult, to say the least. Barnabas was there as a fellow servant who understood Paul’s trials and could offer encouragement, support, and companionship no matter what came his way.

Someone to teach

If we amass great knowledge, what good is it when we’re gone? We take those books, podcasts, articles, webinars, facts, figures, and studies to the grave with us. And what if, beyond learning, we also develop a deep understanding of one or more concepts? This is even more valuable — but wasted all the same if at the end of our journey they die with us.

Our legacy, arguably the most powerful thing we will leave behind, is a single life into which we’ve poured our knowledge and understanding in a way that equips that person to live a life of impact — and to pass along their knowledge and understanding in the process. That’s our true body of work.

Author, lecturer, and disability advocate Helen Keller (a fellow Alabamian who died the year I was born) said in a speech:

“What do I consider a teacher should be? One who breathes life into knowledge so that it takes new form in progress and civilization.”

Breathing life. That’s a powerful image of what it means to be a mentor, a teacher, a leader who invests in those who come along behind them.

I mentioned Timothy earlier, and he rounds out our examples from the Bible as the young man Paul mentored and helped grow in the faith. It took the Timothys of the world to carry on Paul’s ministry, after all. Paul understood this vital role and made the investment in Timothy’s life.

There’s an added benefit to the role of a teacher. I love this succinct quote from Roman philosopher Seneca:

“While we teach, we learn.”

I’ve read many times that if you really want to learn something, teach it. I’ve seen this truth in my life when I’ve led a book discussion or made a presentation. The preparation always leaves me with a deeper understanding of the subject than when I first studied it.

It works both ways

Look back over this list and hopefully you can think of people who play these roles in your life today or did so in the past.

Now turn that around. Not only do we need these people, but we in turn need to play these roles in the lives of others. Who are you leading? Who are you walking beside? Who are you learning from, allowing them to be the mentor and teacher?

After all, it’s the relationships we have with others that truly determine the fullness of our lives as we seek to discover and pursue what a rare life means to us.

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COMING SOON

Look for the big announcement in the weeks ahead … I’m launching the Life Life Rare Podcast, a companion to this newsletter. Looking forward to sharing this new project with you!

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Question? Thoughts? Please share in the comments!

Do you know someone who wants to discover and pursue what a rare life means to them? Please pass along this newsletter. We’ll continue to encourage one another as we grow this community.

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