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We All Need Tough Teachers
Break Free From Mental Traps
Our toughest teachers pop up unexpectedly and profoundly impact our lives. We initially don’t like the pressure they put on us, but in the end, we are grateful for the important lessons they taught us. Here are three of mine.
Lesson #1 — It’s What You Feel That Counts
It was midnight. I was traveling on a steam-engine-drawn train in the heart of Africa. Smoke from my cigarette curled to the rafters in the railcar where I sat alone. Free at last from the control of family and religion, I smugly exulted in my 16-year-old independence. I was on the journey of a lifetime. It was not about a physical destination (my aunt’s home in another country), but about my need to mature spiritually and make better decisions.
Suddenly, the train ground to a halt. I peered out the window into the darkness, the trees in the forest next to the tracks loomed like ghostly sentinels. “Why here?” I wondered. The carriage door creaked open. A man materialized out of the dark and slid into the seat opposite me. He had the whole carriage of empty seats to choose from. Why sit across from me?
I pulled my coat over my head, trying to avoid his piercing gaze. But no matter how hard I tried to disappear, I felt his laser-like stare. After what seemed…
