I learn something new every day. Many of those lessons are not pleasant, yet each one brings me into a deeper fullness of my humanity. We are all on a lifelong journey toward self-actualization, the unfolding of our true selves. But this “apex” of our identity is not a fixed peak. It continues to expand as we grow in consciousness, drawing us ever upward.

One of the first things we ever learn in life is trust. Our first course in trust might be called Nourishment 101, and we took it as infants. From our first breath, nourishment was essential, but we were helpless to provide it for ourselves. Our caretakers held our survival in their hands. We had to learn to trust them for food, warmth, love, and care. And food was the very first practical lesson. The feeding process itself became the laboratory for Trust 101.

We invite you to join us for this week’s series of Daily Reflections: “You Live and Learn.”

The old saying “You live and learn” has been around for centuries, appearing in English writings as far back as the 1500s. Its meaning is timeless: we gain wisdom and understanding through life’s experiences, especially the difficult or surprising ones. George Gascoigne wrote in 1576 in his play, “The Glass Government,” that life itself is a kind of school, and according to our teachers, our mistakes become lessons.