When the student is ready . . . the teacher will appear

No one knows it all, and beware of anyone who says they do. The Chinese say, "When the teacher stops learning, he relinquishes the right to teach".

I have often thought about the title of this article. There is so much wisdom in it if you stop to think about it. What does it mean? Let's take a look at it.

"When the student is ready" means all we have to do is seek knowledge and experience life with an open mind.

The "teacher" can be anything, anyone, any experience or event.

The key is to have an open mind.

Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, said, "You cannot teach something to someone who thinks he already knows." How true.

It is equally true that one must live what one teaches. Anything less is hypocrisy (a lie). Anyone teaching one thing and doing another is not to be trusted.

I've experienced many great teachers in life but the greatest for me has always been nature. I love going to the mountains, a deserted beach, a river, a rice field, anywhere away from people - just nature and me, and I learn so much. I just sit there with an open mind, watch and learn. I think in today's busy and hectic life, too few people do that anymore. We don't take the time to learn what nature has to teach us. And you can do so right here in Bangkok. Even in this busy city, the lessons of nature abound.

Watch some ants and then think about how you can apply what you learn to your life and your organisation. Communication, teamwork, division of labour and the value of hard work. All these things from tiny ants.

By Dr Bill Gould

Human resources director

Wall Street Institute, Thailand

www.wallstreet.in.th