Last night, I was moving the chickens and one escaped again. Learning from the previous experience, instead of spending hours looking from her, I waited. We did the other chores, had dinner, and I picked up our son from scouts. And then, as the day began to draw itself to a close, the chicken came out of the brush looking to roost.

Often I think that ‘learning’ means that the same thing doesn’t happen again or twice. And sometimes it does. However, I’m realising that this is not always the case. Learning does not mean the things you want to happen, don’t happen. Learning means that we can respond to them better. The first time the chicken escaped, I was upset. My stress levels were very high and I searched and searched. Last night, no stress. I knew I simply had to wait.

Learning is not about perfection. It is about responding better.

Photo by JOHN TOWNER