Compliance or Contribution

[Learning & Growing - XIV]

Most of schooling is an 18 year experiment in one type of learning: memorization for tests. Success is passing and getting to the next grade, which offers a new body of information to memorize. Teacher mandated test giving is predictable, measurable and standardized. But it teaches far more than memorization; it teaches how to prepare for a life that’s at the mercy of someone else giving instructions (and watching over our shoulders to see if we’re cheating). The goal is compliance. 

Self-directed learning, or self-direction in general, is too dangerous a pedagogical model. By definition it can’t be standardized and the outcomes are unpredictable. However, one thing we know for certain is that it teaches more than regurgitation of facts and figures; it teaches how to contribute inertia, passion, self-motivation, and engagement for a lifetime. “Passing” is measured by understanding not grades. The goal is individual contribution.

And we wonder why so many people accept the story as it’s told to us, buy into conspiracies, and never doubt the people in power…we’ve been practicing it in school since age 5.

Mountain Traffic, Space & Learning

[Learning & Growing - XIII]

Outside of Leavenworth, in the northern Cascades, are The Enchantments, a chain of magical alpine lakes. We drove there, intending to hike one of these well-known, jaw-dropping trails. Miles and miles up a winding mountain rode we drove in our dusty jeep, anticipating a good workout, fresh mountain air, and stellar views. What we encountered were thousands of other dusty cars parked for nearly a mile on the same mountain road, wanting the same magical experience. 

The trailhead to The Enchantments literally had traffic. 

The Enchantments were disenchanting.  Something about enchantment—moments of heightened senses, joy, and magic—requires space. 

Space to think, to see, to breathe. Space to question, wonder, and dream. Space to explore and discover. 

A life of learning is a life full of enchantment. Are we making space to experience the magic?

Drudgery & Dream Jobs

[Learning & Growing - XII]

The most common fear is not public speaking, failure, or slow death. The most common fear is drudgery. Different day, same menial work. Again and again.

Pick a different job. One that you dream about. Maybe it’s a professional athlete. Perhaps a veterinarian. Or a lawyer. Not menial, right? 

Actually, those jobs can be drudgery too. One person’s dream job is another’s drudgery. Every job has rainy days. The work is rarely the problem. 

Our imagination can go flat. 
Our curiosity can run dry. 
Our dreams are often too small. 

No thrill of a job can overcome the inner drudgery of not being curious and having dreams.

Forever Interested

[Learning & Growing - XII]

My first class in college was Introduction to Philosophy. I expected one thing; I got another. Instead of erudite conversations about millennium-old ideas and long-dead white-bearded guys, we discussed moral responsibility in politics, climate change and business ethics, the purpose and place of the sacred in everyday life, and so much more. 

Before that class I hardly read. Before that class I dreaded school. Before that class writing was a chore. 

After that class, reading, school, and writing were interesting, even thrilling. 

Surprise sparks interest. Everything about that class was a surprise. And I was given the questions to ask that would render life itself a continual surprise. 

Mystery sustains interest. That class introduced me to a world of discovery and wonder that only increases in its vastness the further I explore. I was invited to pursue the mystery, not shy away from it. And I’ve been “finding” mystery ever since. 

Are you open to surprise? Comfortable with mystery?

Losing Sparkle

[Learning & Growing - XI]

What does a life of learning feel like when mastery leads rather than discovery and surprise? What happens when we remove mystery from learning? 

What becomes of the learning process if the unknowable is not something, like the sun, we dare to peak at and hold reverent, but instead wrangle down and try to control? 

Learning, then, loses its wonder.Loses its sparkle. Loses its life. 

This goes for math and science. Politics and business.Love and relationships. 

And especially faith.

Imitation Precedes Creation

I’ve been processing a lot about the need for and nature of learning and growing. 

Before I continue to challenge people like us to continue pursuing a life of learning…

Before I continue to inspire people like us to be open to the new, the different, and the challenging…

I’d like to share an often forgotten truth about growth and learning:

Imitation often precedes creation; copying is an important way to learn, eventually leading to originality. 

Eventually you will create truly original work, in time you will forge an original path, but for now, early in the journey, it’s okay to mirror someone (or something) that is doing “it” the way you hope to someday.

Not Transmission of Data

Learning and teaching aren’t the same as acquisition of information and transmission of data. In other words, learning and teaching are profoundly different than what many of us did in school for so many years.  

Learning requires openness. 
(I am open to encountering something new here.)  

Learning requires risk. 
(I understand that I might change through this experience.)  

Learning requires application. 
(This information will get used and therefore retained in the near future.)  

Teaching requires empathy. 
(My audience is different than I am, and I understand them.) 

Teaching requires flexibility. 
(I can share this same subject through many mediums and around many obstacles.)  

Teaching requires patience. 
(Understanding is the goal, not efficiency.)  

Side note: I learned so much through this experience. I could have written volumes… but the publisher thought 250 pages was enough.

Styrofoam Plane Education

My second son loves flying. 

Consider a plane. Not an actual plane, but a small, styrofoam plane from the hobby store—as in, the simplest version of plane you can think of. 

The propeller on that plane was pressed alongside 100,000 other propellers in a cast iron press, in a plastic factory, in Taipei. The press was designed in 1962 and hasn’t taken a day off since. Before that, each propeller was carved out of wood by hand. Manufacturing efficiency for common plastic items has sped up exponentially in the last 50+ years. 

The wings and body of that plane were also made in a preformed press, but they were made in a different factory, 500 miles north of Taipei, in a city called Qindao, mainland China. And the styrofoam was sourced from another city in another country. All the parts are assembled in yet another city. Supply chain continuity and barge transportation is a fraction the cost as it was even 30 years ago, making all the moving of that material financially pencil out. 

Speaking of styrofoam, did you know that it’s made of styrene, which is a petroleum-based product?  In other words, it’s a byproduct of oil, and it’s made through a process called polymerization. (Yes, chemists with phD’s are involved.)

My son has a couple of styrofoam planes. And given his affinity for flying, those “toys” are easily a means of learning about history, math, geopolitics, manufacturing, macro economics, commercial transportation, ecology, chemistry, and on and on. 

Everyday objects are a sophisticated application of every subject offered at the nearest university. 

Literally, everything can be learned through anything! (h/t July Bogart) 

Don’t miss the learning opportunities all around you.

Bees & Curiosity

My son is obsessed with bees. Their behavior, work ethic, communication, social inclinations, biology, honey, nectar, pollen . . . it’s all fascinating to him. He came to his obsession through agriculture; he was studying the importance of pollinators to plant life and farming. 

He found an interest in farming through a broader interest in food systems and immunology when COVID changed everyone’s life. Those interests complimented his interests in healthy eating and physical training. 

And eating well and training have been a priority to him partly due to him starting to play soccer competitively. 

This is fascinating: my son manages a small apiary partly because he plays soccer! 

Learning is about curiosity and curiosity is an openness to the interconnection between all things. Sometimes soccer leads all the way to honey, but if you’re not curious, it might end at balls, cleats, and grass. 

Where will your interests lead? 
What connection might your curiosity uncover? 

[Just a heads up: my blogging here is connected with writing that I do elsewhere. If you’re *curious* about more ministry specific reflections, you can find them here.]

Growth is a Risk

Any type of growth is a risk. It comes with change—of habits, relationships, perception, experience, etc. Because learning is always a form of growth, it’s risky. Most people don’t have an aversion to learning, but we do have a reticence to the inevitable changes that come as a consequence of learning. 

So, learning needs two things to be healthy. First, a sense of safety. To learn is to feel safe enough to expand, grow, become different, and change. In an environment that’s threatening, learning is severely restricted. Second, stable relationships. Real learning is always applied, which assumes a connectedness of support that makes room for diverse ways of taking new information or knowledge and “trying it out”. 

Growth and learning are risky. Without a sense of safety and a support network, they are inhibited. 

Find your people. 
Insist on a culture of support and safety. 
The learning and growth and expansion will come naturally.  

That reminds me: I’ve taken some growth risks lately, and I’ve received so much support. Check out my new website: ryanfasani.com. Also, if you’re not signed up to get advance notice of my larger writing risks (i.e. books) you can sign up for my newsletter there. I shared a "sneak peak” of my next book cover a couple weeks ago. Let me know if you’d like to see it.

Incentives to Learn

Money is a terrible incentive. That’s why the promise of a raise at work doesn’t result in more productivity. Sometimes productivity goes down because, as it’s been found time and again, money is often a demotivator. 

Threats are ineffective too. Getting “grounded” rarely motivates good decision making in children. The threat of detention doesn’t produce better behaved students. Sometimes the opposite occurs. Even death is a bad motivator of change (see Alan Deutschman’s work). 

What people want, which happen to be the same things that serve as good incentives, are freedom, respect, and responsibility. 

Freedom to be creative and make decision. 
Respectfully listened to and taken seriously. 
And enough responsibility to make a difference. 

These are effective incentives because inherent in them is meaning and satisfaction, neither of which derive from money or fear. 

This is why fear-based schooling or the promise of material gain don’t help us learn and grow. If there’s not a direct line between learning and meaning, learning becomes a chore and comes to a screeching halt. If there’s not real satisfaction in the learning process, the body (and mind) literally shut down.

Back to Dreaming

“Alright, it’s time to get back to work, everyone.” 

When the talking and visioning has gone on long enough . . .

When the dreaming and scheming, imagining and hoping have run on past the lunch hour. . . .

When the scratch paper diagrams, the napkin sketches, and the whiteboard doodling has cut into productive office work . . .

 . . . it’s time to get back to the work that matters. 

I think we have it backwards. It’s the doodling that becomes the modeling, then the engineering, and finally the industry altering alternative. It’s the dreaming together that eventually germinate the new future no one would have thought of while crunching numbers at their desk. It’s the sketches and visions and “what-ifs” that inspire unforeseen solutions and kickstart new partnerships. 

“Alright, it’s time to get back to dreaming, everyone.”

Olympic Inspiration

I like the olympics because it’s honest. 

The olympic games don’t need to sensationalize events. They entertain because they are extraordinary human achievements without any special effects and fireworks.  Jumping 20 feet in the air using momentum and a long pole is mind-blowing. 

The olympics are honest because the jump, routine, or lap in the pool are not the whole story. What the cameras show in 10 seconds is the culmination of a life devoted to a singular task. And the Olympics are not prone to hide that fact; rather, it’s highlighted.

Every athlete is inspired. They must be, as they daily hone their skills and refine their micro-movements for a chance to be the best in the world. For years, even decades, an athlete must practice that one spin, turn, or rotation.  

To truly grow and learn and become exceptional, we need inspiration. But inspiration is not magic. Inspiration and devotion are inseparably fused. They are often indistinguishable. 

Don’t wait for inspiration. Instead, let’s do the work.

Taking Our Shoes Off

You rarely see a sign on the front door of a house that instructs newcomers on shoe wearing etiquette. 

Occasionally the evidence obvious. There are piles of shows outside the door that indicate: We take shoes off before walking into this house. Or, there are no shoes at the entrance, which might indicate: Go ahead, wear your shoes throughout. 

Usually, however, shoe wearing etiquette, like most etiquette, is less obvious and passively communicated. Is the carpet stained, spills left uncleaned, and animals running through the house? Those are indicators that, indeed, this house is a shoe-wearing house. Are the wood floors cleaned to a shine and no visible scuffs on the wall? This house is not a shoe-wearing house. Does the owner have shoes on? Do their children? Both important pieces of evidence. 

Sometimes a house has an aura—no explicit evidence, no clues, and no piles of shoes—that dictates the shoe-wearing policy. The space of the living room is inviting, the art on the wall and the easel in the corner are inspiring, and the hanging plants are life-giving. In a space like this, you may be compelled to remove your shoes because it invites you to fully feel the living room floor, intimately engage the surroundings, and take risks in conversation. 

Our hearts wear protective shoes too. Some space there is a clear policy to keep it guarded. But often it’s the aura of a place that either invites us to takes risks and fully feel, or it does the opposite and we stay covered up. 

True learning requires us to remove our shoes, but it can only freely happen in a space that is safe to take risks.

Old Dogs, New Tricks

I just saw a 9 year old dog learn to roll over for the first time. “You can’t teach old dog new tricks” simply isn’t true. Unless, of course, it’s code for, “Owners of old dogs have lost the desire to teach new tricks and therefore their old dogs don’t really have a chance to learn anything new.” 

In other words, we often blame an individual (eg old dogs) instead of looking critically at environment (eg owners and owner’s training techniques). 

What about continuing to learn and grow as adults? Do we really have an inherent disability to being stretched, gaining new insights, challenging old beliefs, and expanding our worldview? Or, are there environmental variables that we are unwilling to identify further justifying never changing. 

Age has almost no bearing on cognitive plasticity, habit formation, and learning. Another way to say it is this: Our brains (and bodies) are forever young. (Thank you, Bob Dylan.) 

Don't blame your age. 

You’re missing proper  instruction. 
You’re missing inspiration. 
You’re missing enchantment.

“How do I know if I’m on the right path?”

Several things we look to for guidance that *don’t* help us know if we’re on the right path: 

1. Awards (We can win doing the wrong thing. Ask any competitor.)

2. Comfort (Often a luxury of wealth, rarely a sign of faithfulness to our intended work.)

3. Affirmation (Positive feedback must be sifted through carefully. The same is true with criticisms.)

4. Linearity (Life and vocation never follow a straight line. Don’t force them to. Be suspicious if they do.)

The path usually doesn’t have signs, it's rarely marked with clean boundaries, and the horizon is only occasionally within view. But there is a topography to it, a curvature that resonates, a slope that makes sense. And it can only be take one, maybe two, steps at a time. 

Of the right path, I’ve heard it said like this: 

You’ll know you’re on it when you’re following the grain in your own wood.

“Won’t people think I’m crazy?"

Yes. They will. 

Irresponsible. Idealistic. Childish. 
Weird. Diluted. Imbalanced.
Lost. Confused. Immature. 

Embrace the crazy (and the list of name calling). We are crazy! So are they. We’re just not crazy in the same way they are. It’s that simple. 

We’re crazy about our convictions and our hopes for the world. 
We’re crazy about finding and making meaning, adding value, devoting ourselves to the good. 
We’re crazy about doing what’s lovely, beautiful, and artistic. 
We’re crazy about what lasts, personal dignity, and community flourishing. 
We’re crazy about radical change, equity, and justice. 

What we’re not . . . is listless, numb, and unwell. But yes, we’re crazy. We must be. 

“What If I’m just trying to get a job?”

If you’re concerned about doing meaningful work, waking up and finding purpose in how you invest your time, and ultimately investing your life in the vocational field you are meant to be in, asking about it at the last minute is too late. Just get a job—for now. But if you’re early in the game, here are some things to consider.

Where was your former job? Were you reliable, work well with others, exceed expectations, and surprise others with your willingness to go the extra mile? Then your referrals will come easily. 

Where did you go to school? Did you ask good questions? Did you stay after and engage the teacher/professor in person? Were you genuinely interested in critical thinking (not just the grade) and learning (rather than your GPA)? Then you are connected to an ever-expanding network of industry leaders. 

Your “free time” is a) never free and b) always an investment. Were you intentional with whom you connected? Did you fill in your proficiency gaps? Did you build community? Did you give generously? Then your character and skillset will speak for themselves. 

Last minute job hunting results in last minute filling of average job openings. 

Submitting numerous online applications to numerous online listings results in finding a job numerous people with average skills can fulfill. 

Finding vocational work begins early and requires being remarkable in the small things.

“Isn’t the industry saturated?”

Industries don’t get saturated; innovation simply runs dry. 

Okay, now that is settled . . . I think there are two questions behind this questions: 

How do I fulfill my call in an industry that doesn’t seem hospitable to me being me (ie remarkable)? -and- How do I do the work I’m suppose to do if I’m just trying to get a job? One question occurs *after* you’re working, looking back at the decision, and the other question comes *before* getting a job, looking forward.

Today I’ll look backwards. 

How do you fulfill your vocation as a mortgage broker? 
How do you stand out, be true to yourself, and engage your unique gifts as a clerk at a hardware store? 
How do you pursue what you’ve always wanted to do when you teach middle school history? 

I think you “win” when you can offer a package of remarkable elements that are consistent with the core of what you do, employ your uniques skills, and embody your convictions. In time, those elements, by themselves, become the thing worth talking about.  

It’s the apparent impossibility of such a task that gives it the friction necessary for innovation. By asking the questions, we're headed the right direction! 

No one thought thirty years ago that a fly-through, interactive, multi-sensory, house tour would exist in the real estate business. But that’s what happens—and that’s what people talk about!—when a love for gadgets and video production are married to a once-mundane task of staging, showing, and selling a home. And now it’s common place.

“You can’t be serious?"

I’ve heard this dismissive question hundreds of times. So has everyone else leaning hard into their unique call. 

If you hear it from leaders, it carries a patronizing, putrid scent with it. Dispose of it. 

If you hear it from strangers, it’s a lack of understanding. Ignore it. Move on

If you hear it from friends, it’s a sign of concern. Explain once, maybe twice. That’s enough.

If you hear it from loved ones, invite them on the journey. But don’t justify yourself. 

If you hear it internally, you’re hearing Resistance. It’s best addressed by kicking butt and doing the work.   

Never is this question a sign you’re doing something delusional, weird, or wrong. Press on,  friends!