blogging challenge, day 23: life's lessons

Day 23, Thursday: Things you've learned that school won't teach you

•  The beauty of failure. Failure sucks, but it can teach you and open new doors - if you let it. To benefit fully from your failures, however, you need to own them, and keep on owning them - even when you're successful.
• Find an avocation. Find something you truly love - something that challenges you, makes you happy, and keeps you excited. It's a great way to continue learning and growing and can be an excellent way to meet interesting people, too.
• There are mentors all around you. The older I get, the more amazed I am at how people, in various settings and at various times, have emerged as inspirations and mentors. Some mentors have only been in my life for a semester; others have been a presence for more than a decade. Some mentors I've gotten to know personally; others I've gotten to know purely by observing how they interact with others in the classroom or other settings. It's comforting to realize that there are so many people out there with knowledge and wisdom who are willing to share it and encourage you along your path.