It's an age old discussion, and in fact it recently became a rite of passage moment when my 7 year old son turned to me and said. "
Dad, why doesn't Chewbacca get a medal?" It's the kind of moment that brings a tear to your eye and especially when concerning Chewies lack of bling.
I have heard many of the answers before and decided to dismiss some of the possible responses to answer my sons curiosity, for example I don't believe the Rebel Alliance were Wookist, I doubt very much that Chewie suffered from a medal allergy and nor do I think it was an intervention by the Protocol Droid Union to stop them melting down any more of C3PO to make the gold medals in the first place. My response to Jnr Learning Dude was simple and opened up a whole series of valuable life lessons and discussions for the moment and those still to come. The simple answer I gave him was "
Son, it's not all about the bling. A simple thank you and to be appreciated for what he achieved was gratitude enough for Chewie"
Too often people look for that "thing" as a reward for receiving training rather than truly understanding that the "thing" is what the learning has done or will do for them. Now Luke as you can see from above was well impressed with his medal and that's fine as much learning he has to do, so let him smile.
That Learning Dude got to thinking about the fact that 35 years had passed since Star Wars was released back in 1977 and at this time I myself was a mere 7 years old. I too questioned the lack of medal for Chewie and summoned my father, "Yes,
he was my father" to calculate the many reasons possible for this on his shiny new Apple computer while Mother gazed on in admiration. Sadly the computation failed to provide the answer but did give me 7 other learning gems from the ways of the force.
1) Luke wanted to join up with his best mate at the Imperial Academy and become a pilot but his Uncle Owen had other ideas and hoped to keep him from his dreams. It happens. People, things, stuff and then a little bit more may get in your way from what you want to achieve but stick to the task and you will get what you want. Okay so I can't guarantee that a well connected old Jedi can get you a jump up to x-fighter class but you get the picture.
2) Make the right connections and build a network that can support your wider goals. Through Obi, they managed to find just the person for the job down at the Cantina which led them on their journey and indeed Luke's destiny. Without that connection Luke would have either been topped by Dr. Evazan who had the death sentance in twelve systems or ended up as charcoal like Aunt Beru and Unlcle Owen. Networking is an important part of learning as the wider the circle the more extensive the knowledge.
3) Okay so friends of That Learning Dude may laugh when I talk about the importance of plans when you are learning or creating learning as I do tend to be a little bit vague when I am in the zone as such. However this does not mean I don't have any (
I keep them safe in a little droid). The importance of great plans helps you to track exactly where you are, react quickly to changes and help you to meet overall goals and milestones.......alternatively steal your enemies plans, find their weakness and you're all clear kid !!!!! Of course That Learning Dude wouldn't be an advocate of that. That wouldn't be the plans you'd be looking for.
4) Be prepared to make some sacrifices along the way, granted some may be more extreme than others as Obi proved for the greater good.......which reminds me, why doesn't Vaders strike with the lightsaber not burn through Kenobis cloak? Just asking.....ehem, anyway, where was I? Yes sacrifices. I spoke in a previous blog about a little bit of failure being okay. These little failings can be your sacrifices, it might mean putting a little more effort or time in to make something work but the long term gains will be worth the effort and will help you stay on target.
5) Look for feedback, it is the best way to find out that what you are doing is right. Now at times you may not like what you hear and possibly attempt to ignore it, but of course, if you search your feelings :-) the chances is are you will know it is true and be able to accept it. This is perfect as you can then update your plans and goals with new targets. Who knows you may also be able to repair relationships that have lost there way a little.
6) One thing you shouldn't do is over promise. Not to yourself and not to others. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do. You don't want to have to drop things and let people down at the very sniff of an imperial cruiser so make sure you know your limits. A greater strength to have is recognising what the priorities are and acting upon them. Oh and unless you want a dressing down from Yoda, don't tell people you will try to do it. There is no try !
7) Last but not least, the learning never stops
That Learning Dude @LearningXdude
No comments:
Post a Comment