I am a slow learner

Are you a fast learner? Some people are. I think I am not; it will have to take me time to “Get It!I know a trainer who can go through a brand-new training manual. Leave him alone for two hours, and he will come out of the room with guns blazing, training a classroom of participants like an expert with years of actual work experience. Me? I cannot. I need to understand, process, reflect, research, and try to get to the logic of the lesson supported by facts and industry research. I envy people who learn quickly. I wished I could be a fast learner. And then, one day, I realized many people could learn fast, but they forget fast. Some people learn quickly but get bored easily.

Now I know myself better. The reason why I am a slow learner is that I want to internalize everything I have learned, I like what I understand to be a part of me.

I find it hard to memorize. When I understand and comprehend something, I do not need to memorize the thing because I am pretty poor with memory too. When people come to me and ask me the question: “Francis, don’t you remember me?”

It’s one of the most uncomfortable moments for me. I would smile and then suddenly look serious and say, “I have a photographic memory, but it’s too short, and it’s currently low-batt.”

This material from the famous comedian Dave Barry caught my attention. The title of the article is “Slow Learner.” And these are the things Dave Barry said about something that took him 50+ years to learn.

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. If you had to identify, in a word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “meetings.”

3. There is a fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness.”

4. People who want to share their religious views with you rarely want you to share yours with them.

5. You should not confuse your career with your life.

6. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. (This one is significant).

7. Never lick a steak knife.

8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11.

12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.

13. A person who is nice to you but rude to a waiter is not nice. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)

14. Your friends love you anyway.

15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

16. Thought for the day: Men are like fine wine. They start as grapes, and it’s up to the women to stomp the yogurt out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

So, there you are. I am in good company. I’m a slow learner too.

It took me years to realize that those I trusted and helped could one day turn against me and try to destroy me. But I quickly learned that most people are good people and that I should start trusting again.

I have learned that every person changes, and that includes me. I must make sure I change for the better and not for the worst.

I have learned that having a fun and smiling family is worth more than all the wealth and riches we could accumulate in our lifetime.

And I have learned that having an intimate relationship with Christ is not being religious but being sure that we get to spend the rest of eternity with Him.

Don’t make a big deal out of being a slow learner. It’s always better than those who never learned at all.

(Francis Kong runs his highly acclaimed Level Up Leadership 2.0 Master Class Online this Aug. 17-19. For inquiries and reservations, contact April at +63928-559-1798 or and for more information, visit www.levelupleadership.ph)