What’s Your “Learning Edge”?

You may or may not have heard this term, “learning edge”.  I first heard it when I was in life coaching school at The Hendricks Institute, about ten years ago.  My definition of it is basically this:  the thing that the Universe is presenting to you as your current opportunity for growth.

I have found over the years that it does behoove me to pay attention to what keeps coming up for me.  For better or for worse, God/dess does not give up on us.  If we don’t get the learning the first time, it will continue to be presented in less and less subtle ways, until we get it.  I’ve had some “growth” that felt a bit like being hit over the head with a hammer.  These days, I am able to get the learning before it gets to that point.

And, once you get the learning, you’ve got it.  You won’t ever go backwards, really.  Yes, we can all forget what we already know from time to time.  And the Universe will be right there to remind us!

Here’s my most recent learning edge (and people can and do certainly have more than one learning edge at the same time):  I learned that I really, really need exercise- (sweating, gasping for breath, dopamine-releasing exercise) more days than not, every week.  Specifically, the number of days per week that’s coming to me is five. It is now a permanent part of my self-care, which is part of loving myself.

I had already been doing lots of good things for myself every day.  Things like prayer, meditation, asking my angels and guides for help, eating well, drinking lots of water, using my mind every day, and, yes, exercise too.

What happened was that around the holidays I slacked off.  I was eager to get back to it in January, and then I got sick.  A killer sinus infection for like a month.  I kid you not.  Not only did I then feel physically bad in January, I felt emotionally not quite up to par either.  In February, I went on vacation and felt good, partly because I was on vacation, and also because I was getting quite a bit of exercise again.  When I returned back home, that’s when I really started paying attention.  Returning to snowy, cold New England in February, I was actually depressed.  And then I started exercising almost every day.  And I felt better.  And then I slacked off.  And then I felt depressed again.  And then I got back to exercising almost daily.  And then I felt better.  Hmmmm, there’s a pattern here, huh?

Okay, Universe, I get it.  I commit to exercising at least five days a week.  It has gotten to the point where it almost doesn’t feel like I have a choice, if I want to feel good.  And I do!  There could be worse things in life than exercising a lot.  I’m not complaining.

I’d love to hear your answers to this question:  what’s your current learning edge?