Today’s task is to reflect on eleven things you have learned. Be it from formal education, life lessons, pearls of wisdom, on the job experience, or any other method or way of learning. There are so many things and ways one can learn. I found this an interesting and curious gratitude prompt. To be able to think on how what we’ve learned has shaped and changed how we see and interact with the world is always kind of exciting to me. But I am a nerd like that.

1. Laughter is a universal language – I learned this while working for a company with people from all over the world. We may not have always been able to communicate, but we could always laugh together.
2. If I don’t write it down, I won’t remember – this was my mantra and what I told my clients. It was true. When I was juggling too many projects, if I didn’t write it down, it didn’t happen. There is something about my brain that solidifies things if I write them down.
3. Being kind isn’t hard – but don’t expect to be met with kindness. People are mean, even when met with kindness. But it doesn’t mean you have to stop being nice.
4. “Measure twice, cut once”, is good advice. Don’t mix it up. You’d be surprised how often I screw this up. It has taught me patience & humility.
5. Everyone thinks they are a designer, especially when they find out that is actually what you do for a living. I used to get upset, now I just take it for what it is – a compliment. People like good design and aspire to bring beauty to the world.
6. I learned some “cheater” guitar chords when I was learning guitar. When I took some formal classes in high school, it was really hard to transition to the full chord, so sometimes, I’d use the cheater chords. They teacher would catch me, and she’d give me a look. There really aren’t too many acceptable short cuts in life. Learn the right way the first time.
7. Family matters. Not a job, not a career. Family (and family is what you make it). I once dedicated so much of myself to a job/career. And when I needed that employer to help me, I got the door shut in my face. I sacrificed my family for that place – and for what? After that, I learned how to prioritize what mattered most, and that was my son, my husband, and my extended family. Gone were the ridiculously long hours, overtime, and marathon drives for work.
8. I know how to juggle! I learned when my son was a baby – initially, I learned so I could entertain him. I’ve now used it to destress, to entertain people when I did customer service training (to drive home a point), to show people my multiple talents, and to help recover after surgery. Oddly, people are really impressed when they learn you can juggle. It takes a fair amount of patience to learn. It is slow process, but one that you don’t really ever forget how to do.
9. I learned all the songs needed to pass the level one Royal Conservatory Piano Exam. Why? So, I could help my son pass his exams. It was a challenge, but one that showed me anyone could do it (I was 44 at the time and only had some cursory piano experience and could read music). It stretched my thinking and talents.
10. How to make a proper English pot of tea. (insert laughing emoji here). My former mother-in-law taught me. She complained once that I made awful tea. She was Welsh, and if you’ve read anything I’ve written about her, I was the Colonial her son decided to marry (she hated me). So, she took it upon herself to “teach me something of use”, that being how to make a ‘proper cuppa’. One bag for everyone at the table, and one extra for the pot. Hope you like your tea strong!
11. Cracking project management and project tracking skills. Thank you very much, NAIT! I learned *a lot* from my Interior Design Technology program and my many years doing project management, but the foundations were all built in the PM class at school. I make kick-ass GANTT charts, my budgets are amazing, and I can organize cats like nobody’s business.

Unsure what I am talking about? You can catch the intro post here, but in short… The wellness studio I go to is running a free workshop this week, Elevate & Illuminate: A Free Lion’s Gate Portal Offering. Trista, the owner, is presenting live everyday, a gratitude challenge or assignment where we are tasked to come up with 11 things on a set idea or prompt. So, after the eleven days, we will have eighty-eight things or moments of gratitude.