Learning thoughts

Sometimes learning doesn’t come in one giant breakthrough. It comes in little moments stacked together over a few weeks; conversations, challenges, observations, persistence, loss, and encouragement.

A few thoughts I’ve been learning lately:

We went to the Brewers-Twins game on May 16 with Hannah, and honestly, it’s fun to watch baseball with someone who knows almost nothing about the game. She had a thousand questions. Why is that a strike? Why did they move there? Why didn’t he swing? Why would the runner stay?

It forced me to really think about how I explained things because she had no prior knowledge to build from.

Sometimes we don’t truly understand something until we have to explain it simply to someone else.

On May 19, I read this in The Daily Stoic: “That’s why the philosophers warn us not to be satisfied with mere learning, but to add practice and then training. For as time passes we forget what we learned and end up doing the opposite, and hold opinions the opposite of what we should.” — Epictetus

Learning alone is never enough. We all know things we aren’t practicing consistently.

The challenge isn’t just gaining knowledge, it’s building habits and training ourselves to live it out daily.

Another reminder lately: if you know someone really wants something but they’re drifting in another direction, don’t give up on helping guide them back toward it.

Heather showed that recently with Hannah and golf. There were a lot of reasons Hannah could have skipped playing in her section golf tournament. But Heather kept encouraging, nudging, and helping her move toward the thing she really wanted deep down. Persistence matters.

Sometimes people need someone to believe in them long enough to help them follow through.

I’ve also been reminded how effort continues to drive impact.

Jack’s doctor appointments continue to go well, and we’re grateful for every bit of progress. But his PT twice a day is not automatic. It’s hard work.

Consistent effort rarely gets celebrated in the moment because it looks repetitive and ordinary. Yet over time, those small repeated actions are often what change outcomes.

Another moment that stuck with me: a school counselor recently told Heather that our daughter “could run the school.”

What a gift those words can be. Never underestimate the impact of saying something encouraging to someone. One thoughtful comment can stick with someone for years.

Say something nice to someone today.

Also, The Mandalorian and Grogu was a good movie and you can’t convince me otherwise. I enjoyed it. Everyone in my family enjoyed it. Sometimes that’s enough. Not every experience needs to be filtered through critics, rankings, or internet debates.

Sometimes something is good simply because it brought people together for a couple of enjoyable hours.

And finally, a reminder that life moves fast.

An old classmate and teammate from my high school golf team recently passed away. We hadn’t stayed connected over the years, but from everything I read and heard, it sounded like he built a good life and adored his two children.

Sometimes news like that makes you pause. It reminds you that life is short, relationships matter, and the impact we leave behind is often found in the people we love well every day.

Learning continues in the flow of life.

Jason