It is easy to forget that the roads to excellence and to knowledge are long. Learning cannot be rushed, and we can’t obtain knowledge through imagination alone. Br. David reminds us that we are forever students of life. He says, “Every teacher knows how quickly children understand what they hear. They might remember a little longer what they get to see. But only the doing of what they are being taught will help them understand it from within and leave a lasting impression. This principle proves true not only in the classroom but in every aspect of Life.”
When I think back on my life and those times when learning was only possible by doing, I remember the first time I jumped on the bike my grandfather gave me. It wobbled and I landed flat on the road. The time my dad taught me how to drive a manual car and the show I put on for the neighbors as we jerked back-and-forth down the road. The terror of those early days of public speaking. The first flight, kiss, time abroad, failing at a goal, burying a beloved. None of these could be learned without doing.
The accomplished and the apprentice both learn by doing. This is true for all of us who are alive and experiencing every new day. As Br. David reminds us, “We may read volumes and volumes on the art of swimming, yet we’ll never understand what swimming is like unless we get wet.” Life is a full-body, immersive experience. The only way to learn and experience life to its fullest is by jumping straight off of the diving board and into life’s waters.
In order to learn from life, we also need to acknowledge and embrace its imperfections — all of the hiccups, whoopsies, and embarrassments — that accompany our learning. Learning, after all, is a process. None of us get through life unscathed, and living gratefully helps us see life’s abundance in those times when our hearts become timid or doubtful.
When we set out to learn from life by actually experiencing it, the goal is not always to achieve something. Increasing our understanding is enough. The metaphorical waters may be cold and uncomfortable, the untouchable ground may make you anxious, and the ladder out may feel unreachable. Or the bright sun, playing children, and splashing water may be pure delight. By swimming in life’s waters, you learn what could otherwise never be fully understood solely through thinking, talking, and wondering. This is no easy task.
S.W.I.M: Learn by Doing
The simple practice of S.W.I.M. can serve as a reminder to help you take action and keep you afloat when fear accompanies new learning and taking necessary risks.
- Seek
- Witness
- Inspect
- Move
Much like the foundational gratefulness practice of Stop.Look.Go, S.W.I.M. is a grounding practice that helps you collect yourself by slowing down, observing your environment, and proceeding with intention.
Seek: Tune into your life and all that is unfolding around you. Prepare yourself by setting an intention: What is it you seek to learn or better understand? How do you want to arrive to this learning opportunity?
Witness: One should not jump into the waters without doing a little homework. Begin by witnessing your surroundings, life, relationships, and the context where you find yourself. Take a moment to acknowledge this metaphorical pool, the water, the diving board, the weather, and the people around you. You might say, I see you. I acknowledge you are here. Take inventory of what you are witnessing so that you are aware of your surroundings. Resist the urge to make assumptions or have a fear-based reaction. Let your observations guide you.
Inspect: Things are not always as they seem. Is the water as deep as it appears? Will the clouds above pass? Is the lifeguard really watching the children or are other eyes needed? Through curious inquiry, pay close attention and inspect the environment. In your heightened awareness, you are not drawing conclusions yet. You are gathering information to prepare you for your next move.
Move: Now that you have tuned your attention, gathered facts, and explored what is unfolding in front of you, it’s time to take action. The only way to truly understand is to jump in! In the metaphorical pool, you experience buoyancy, you can identify the depths of the water, see the water’s many colors through the prism of light, and gain a whole new perspective.
S.W.I.M. allows you to embrace the messiness that accompanies learning — you may get dirty or bruised, fail or discover gifts, but you will certainly understand more. With the practice of S.W.I.M., you are open to what is unfolding in front of you, you are intentional about observing and exploring, and you gain knowledge. Rather than reacting, assuming, making judgments, or being afraid, you have approached life intentionally and with trust, allowing you to experience its fullest offering.
Living gratefully gives us the opportunity to try “swimming” in life every day. When we intentionally practice in this way, we build skills that prepare us for whatever life offers next. When we live intentionally in this way, we can conclude each day with these questions:
- What did I learn today by doing?
- How has this learning changed how I see myself, those around me, and the world?
- What assumptions did I have that I can no longer hold as true?
- What did I discover today, and how can it help me tomorrow?
When we are grateful for all of the ways that life works to sustain us, we are also expressing a trust, a confidence that we will somehow be held and supported through life. The trust that develops from living gratefully helps us learn, better understand ourselves, and strengthen our network of relationships.
Photo by Efe Kurnaz
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