Our Island and Coastline
How many times do we have to see a technique to have it sink in?
Techniques and concepts come along as on a sushi restaurant conveyor belt, each ready for our consumption when we’re ready for it. Some we seem to attach to immediately and employ within the same class. But most are taught to us several times over several years before they are fully plugged in. With these we just aren’t ready for them, we aren’t open to their idea yet. We might understand them conceptually on the surface but they likely don’t fit into our current tool belt or mental models yet.
As an instructor if an idea seems to land on deaf ears, don’t sweat it. The student might not be ready for it now, or their cup is just full of other things they’re working on. Or they’re just stuck with the thought they might have left the stove on. But work to get that technique incorporated for those it does fit for. For the others, make a note to circle back as their game evolves, and move on to the next idea that might stick now.
As the student, understand it’s part of the game to not immediately absorb everything thrown at us. Feel free to ask questions that might help it connect, but also understand that, like a carousel, everything comes back around again. And each time it does, we’re a different student with different filters and mindsets formed that might accept the material more readily on the 2nd or 3rd exposure. Oftentimes our mind is so focused (intentionally or not) on digesting earlier material that we unintentionally ignore new ideas that don’t quite match our current mindset. But no worry, we’ve been exposed, we’ve seen it and hope to recognize it once we’re ready to fully incorporate it when it returns. As our island of knowledge grows, our coastline of ignorance increases as well. Blessed with this increased coastline of ignorance, we receive more chances for the misplaced initial technique to find it’s port, because there’s more coastline to connect to it. We practice patience, adding to our island with what works for us, but also letting the rest drift offshore until our coastline is ready for acceptance.