Back to DaVinci

In my May 8, 2008 post (http://lothlorien-lucy.blogspot.com/2008/05/davinci-and-camels.html), I started using DaVinci’s principals (as described in Michael J. Gelb’s How To Think Like Leonardo DaVinci) as a general guideline for writing these posts. I began with his principal of “curiositá” (curiosity).

This week, I shift to his principal of Dimostrazione. According to Gelb, Da Vinci was committed to testing his “knowledge through experience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.” I spent many years studying and preparing for several careers. The desire to know more and more never seems to end. I continue to study and learn (and make mistakes), rooting any new knowledge into a strong foundation of my old knowledge. So many careers - so little time and energy!

This past Saturday was the graduation ceremony for the community college branch where I teach. What a joy to see my students complete one stage in their education! This is one gratifying career that brings me happiness and hope for the future. Our “parking lot campus” in an abandoned strip mall may be tiny, but the students remain eager to learn. http://hawaii.hawaii.edu/ucwh/

Here you see some of the dignitaries (faculty and staff) in all their academic regalia, although I’m the one with the camera so I am not in this particular picture.

As a college instructor, I pass the torch to others, sharing my experiences, helping students learn how to use their experiences and learn through their own mistakes.

How are you using your life experiences for re-creating your future?