Gratitude Day 27: What teacher or mentor has had a positive influence on my life?

This is a difficult one to answer. I’ve had so many teachers and mentors (many of whom didn’t even know I considered them a mentor), I can’t narrow it down to just one.

Part of it is because I try to listen. To everyone, regardless of political, religious, age, or philosophical persuasion. Without listening, we miss little nuggets of wisdom that could improve who we are and how we interact with this world and everyone in it. Perhaps even how we interact with God.

This is difficult today since, with social media, everyone is too busy talking, arguing, and yelling inside their own little echo chambers. Learning is almost impossible.

And yes, I am just as guilty of it. I sometimes even embody this meme:

I’ve heard some say, “God gave you two ears and one mouth which means we should listen twice as often as we talk.”

Jesus said more than once, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Never once did he say, “He who has a mouth, let him speak.”