The Missing Cirriculum - What We Learned and What We Were Not Taught

Sometimes it amazes and frustrates me how much I don’t know. And sometimes the fact that there is so much to learn inspires and motivates me to grow. With all the studying and reading and training I have done I am still aware of many gaps in my education. These gaps show up in all areas of my life where I have not reached my full potential and I know it.

I was thinking about this missing curriculum one day and how grateful I am for the lessons I have learned outside of my “ordinary” education. I decided to make a list of some of the things I am enjoying learning and like to share with others who are learning them also.

As you read through the following list you can see that to obtain the missing curriculum you must start by admitting and unlearning what does not work. Until you understand that there is an entirely different approach to take the doors to the new life that these new lessons promise will remain closed to you. When you understand that you can reclaim the personal power to choose freedom the doors begin to open for you.

There is no doubt that we continue to evolve in spite of ourselves. Even if you don’t consciously seek to stretch and grow there will be plenty of opportunities to do just that. Life will give you people, events and circumstances that will best support you to stretch beyond your comfort zone.

Have a look at this list of the missing curriculum and celebrate the learning you have already done. Consider what is next on your personal list. First read what most of us have learned and then read about what many of us have missed.

1. We have not learned to respect differences.

• We were taught that to feel good we must believe that we are “right” and others are “wrong.”

2. We have not learned effective ways to manage conflicts.

• We were taught to avoid confrontation, to act nice, to pretend everything is fine even when it is not.

2. We have not learned the communication skill of “deep listening” which gives us the ability to both hear and be heard.

• We were taught to tune others out and to listen to the thoughts inside our own heads even when we appear to be listening to someone else.

3. We were not taught spirit-connection practices for remembering and retaining awareness of who we really are.

• We were taught to discount what we know, to ignore our essential self, and to disconnect from our own wisdom, power and energy.

4. We were not taught to harvest our life lessons as we grow and to enjoy the process of our own unfolding.

• We did not learn that life gives us ongoing opportunities to learn and grow and that we are ever-expanding and evolving by nature

5. We were not taught to release past patterns and habits that no longer work for us.

• We learned to do the same things over and over again hoping to get different results.

6. We were not taught practical systems for launching our dreams and actualizing our potentials.

• Some of us never learned to dream. Others learned to give up on dreams before they got launched. Still others learned to dream big but to have no confidence that their dreams would ever be realized.

7. We have not learned how to build inner stamina and to maintain our focus.

• We were taught to resist rather than persist.

8. We have not learned to make decisions from the inside first.

• We were taught to look outside for answers and to doubt our own abilities.

9. We were not taught the power of our thoughts and how to focus them.

• We were taught that thoughts are difficult to control or manage.

10. We have not learned the value of our emotions and how to manage them.

• We were taught to disown, ignore, deny and repress our feelings.

11. We have not learned the importance of self-love.

• We were taught that it is selfish to love and care for our self.

12. We were not taught how to make peace with what is.

• We were taught to fight with the conditions of our lives.

13. We have not learned to take responsibility for creating our lives.

• We were taught to be victims, to blame others and to feel shame for what and who we are.

14: We have not learned that struggle is optional and joy is a choice.

• We were taught that life is tough.

15. We have not learned the missing curriculum.

• We were taught that our education is complete and we are done.

We are all doing our best to unlearn those things we were taught that don’t serve us anymore. And it is clearly time to learn what, for most of us, was left out.