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“We teach best what we most need to learn.”
-Richard Bach
According to Elizabeth Lesser, there is a sign on the wall of the Esalen Institute in California which says “Esalen’s Law: (1) You always teach others what you most need to learn yourself. (2) You are your own worst student.” This rings true to my experience as a teacher (and as a student). I became a teacher of defensive driving, despite having had numerous accidents and several traffic tickets; the good news is that I haven’t had any tickets or serious accidents since, so apparently I really needed to teach (and learn) how to drive more safely. I have taught classes on communication and psychology, and I’m convinced that they were much needed and continue to help me live a better life. And finally, I now work in the recovery field, which has convinced me that from a very young age I was on the edge of a substance use disorder, experimenting with drugs and consuming alcohol (often to excess) and this latest career change was a gift from God and what I needed mostto get my life on track. At every stage of our lives we are beset by challenges which we can either face or ignore. We ignore them at our own peril. If we face them, we usually see that they are able to be resolved, after which we can go on to help others resolve their problems.
–Christopher Simon
