Everyone is My Teacher

I recently saw an interesting quote from the Dalai Lama which read, “Everyone is my teacher, starting with my enemy.” That is an interesting perspective from a guy whose people have been in exile and persecuted by the Chinese government for the past fifty or so years. 

And I thought, this cat is pretty smart and wordly—if he can take that approach to his life then I can and should do the same. So over the past few weeks I started looking at everyone in my life as my teacher...and I’ve realized that I can learn something from every single person I meet throughout my day if I allow my mind to be open to that. From the CEO I met at a networking event, I can learn that hard work, determination, and being nice to people do pay off in the long run. I can learn from The Book of Mormon team that staying true to your art, your values, and not backing down also pay off. I can also learn from someone who isn’t so well known or high on the ladder in society too. I can learn from my friend from Ecuador who works as a busboy that it’s possible to keep a smile on your face and have a good attitude when faced with the daunting task of working five consecutive fourteen hour shifts. I can even learn from my adversary how I can improve the way I treat my friends and colleagues on a day to day basis. 

Everyone in the world has at least one thing to offer and we shouldn’t overlook anyone because you never know if the lesson you learn from that busboy will be the lesson that moves you to a higher plane in one or more areas of your life.