How Educated Are You?

Hello, dear one!

I bet you’ve blamed others at least once for your misfortunes. And whenever you caught yourself with a considerable mistake, you beat up yourself to the ground multiple times. 

Congratulations! This is when true education reveals itself in you.

I had long associated education with the traditional school systems and degrees, until I came across the teachings from the stoic leader, Epictetus: 

“It is the part of an uneducated person to blame others where he himself fares ill; to blame himself is the part of one whose education has begun; to blame neither another nor his own self is the part of one whose education is already complete.”

What was he saying?

Uneducated people blame others. Partially educated people blame themselves. Educated people blame neither others nor themselves.

This was a light bulb moment for me, and a tough pill to swallow for my ego.

I grew up in an environment where college and higher education were highly revered. However, I was surrounded by complainers, and somehow I became one.

I got up complaining about the cold and rainy days. I went to work complaining about co-workers delivering haphazard performances. I came home complaining about the endless home chores.

The worst of all, I hung out with the master complainers. Oh, they could come up with anything to complain about, the job pays, disappointing partners, disobedient children, lack of vacation time, and always the gap between where they were and where their “some-day islands” could be.  

All of us in the complainer’s tribe have received at least a college degree or higher level of education. We all regarded ourselves as educated, proudly and ignorantly. 

But God had a way to humble me with a different human perspective.

One day at work, while listening to my co-worker complaining about her son’s lack of ambition to pursue a college degree, I glanced at our custodial lady who was in the room to change garbage bags.

I got up from my seat and followed her to the bathroom, where she had to unplug a messy toilet.

Out of curiosity, I asked her, “I’ve noticed you’re always so happy and nice. Do you ever get tired of your work?”

Her answer stunned me, “I’m so happy about my job. I didn’t finish high school, but this job has allowed me to raise my son as a single mother. I bought a fix-up house because of my job.”

That day God saved me from further drowning in the ocean of highly educated complainers. 

He showed me what true education was through this graceful lady.

She accepted whatever was in front of her, including the most disgusting toilet. With a peaceful and grateful heart, she cleaned it without complaining.

She graciously allowed LIFE to unfold in front of her, moment by moment. 

She reminded me of Jesus’ teaching on seeing a light:

“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness (Luke 11:34).”

When I complained and hung out with chronic complainers, my eyes saw the wrongs in life, and my body was immersed in the darkness. 

LIFE was perfect each moment, but I chose to bother myself with darkness. 

Recognizing how uneducated I was, I mitigated my complaints by being aware of my behaviors and intentionally removing myself from a complaining environment. 

Now whenever things don’t go my way, I’ll stop asking uneducated questions like, “Why is it happening to me?” 

Instead, I’ll ask EDUCATED questions: 

Why is it happening FOR ME? What is it trying to reveal to me about me? How am I going to emerge from this situation?

After pursuing my real education, every pain has become a blessing, and my light has shone the brightest in the darkest times. All has been well for my highest good. 

During this holiday season and surrounded by crowds, will you take a moment to assess how educated you are, or how educated you’d like to become?