Sunday’s Inspiration: You Will Learn ONE Thing From Every Person You Meet

“You will learn ONE thing from EVERY person you meet”
– Emma Halstead, 2004

I’m a big man for quotes. I listen to what other people say and it often inspires me. An ex girlfriend of mine once told me “Jonny, in life you will learn ONE important thing from EVERY person you meet.” We split up soon after, my fault, but the quote stuck and I believe in it. OK so I’m name checking the girl now – Emma Halstead and we dated in Bournemouth for a while in early 2004. Thanks, Emma. You were right. I liked the quote and it’s hung around for 10 years now.

Sunday’s Inspiration: You will learn one thing from every person you meet (photo – the hand, Punta Del Este, Uruguay)

While this quote may sound like a bold sweeping statement, believe me – it’s not. It doesn’t mean you walk down the street looking at everyone and trying to remember or learn something from them. Same goes for buying a loaf of bread down the shop. You don’t need to hang around the counter until you’re satisfied you have learnt your one thing from the dude serving you. The point is that generally in life, each and every person that we spend a considerable amount of time with (whether we like that person or not) will have something we can learn from them. And it’s normally one important thing. I believe in it, but I don’t actively seek it. It’s mostly in retrospect for me. If you leave a job, you will have learnt something from the people in that job. Here are some things I have learned from other people down the years:

Katy Cook – You get out of life what you put in
Pierre (my French mate in Tasmania) – How to get free laundry
Elena Machota – How to sing a rude Spanish nursery rhyme
Paddy Campbell – It’s not cool to not be cool
Steve Compton – How to cook stuff when you’re pissed
Austin Sheppard – Why life doesn’t have to be one huge rush – slow down
Dan Darch – How to love watching Grand Prix (when you don’t actually like it)
Neil Macey – That I can teach English in Asia if I want

This theory goes along with the whole notion that indeed every person is individual and every person is different. And also that every person is equal. We all have some knowledge or wisdom within ourselves and it is up to us to share this with others. “80% of us never know our genius in our lifetime”

“Genius: one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” – Thomas Edison 

So next time you meet someone you don’t like, you don’t have to run away. You might learn something from them. And that my friends is all for today.

Oh, one last thing…the thing I learnt from Emma Halstead was this:

That you will learn ONE thing from EVERY person you meet.

Thanks Emma!