Everyone Is My Master

Every man I meet is my master in some point, and in that I learn of him. --EMERSON

I remember an inside joke with my over-achiever friends in high school where we would place three fingers on our forehead to form the letter "E." We were proudly acknowledging we were "elitist."

I carried this feeling of superiority outwardly, though inwardly I never felt nearly that smart or accomplished.

In college, this elitism manifested as an imitation of Howard Roark or John Galt from Ayn Rand books.

Thankfully, I grew out of elitism as I felt trapped. It placed a constant wall between me and everyone around me.

It's taken me the rest of my life thus far to realize the value of listening and learning from those around me. Everyone knows how to do something better than I do. Everyone.

Once I find it and learn from them, I feel grateful. And they enjoy sharing it with me.

That's what makes the world go round. That's what helps me to evolve.