Each of us is much more than what we show to the world. Our knowledge, thoughts and ideas often stay in our mind. We do not share everything with other people but sometimes it would be great to reveal more of ourselves to the world.

I am connected to the CEF through my work at the Bank of Slovenia as a training manager and CEF coordinator. My first thoughts on the topic of this blog were very aligned with my strict central banking way of thinking. After giving the idea some more thought it hit me that central bank employees are much more than strictly central banking topic oriented people. I have got to know my colleagues – they are very open, fun to be with, full of unusual ideas, proud of their knowledge, sometimes uncertain about their performance but always looking developing new skills, happy to be with other people and eager to gain knowledge and much more even in their official role. I can say that they are more human than they are perceived by outsiders, and I am happy to be one of them. So I decided that the topic for this blog will be more personal than a strictly professional view on learning, gaining knowledge and becoming better human beings.

My personal goal in every area of life is to make a difference in other people’s lives. A small difference that makes the life of others richer. With this difference the world becomes a better place for everybody. It may be a small change but it is a change towards a better world. I like to help people find a way to be happier and greater, and the best version of themselves. At the Bank of Slovenia I achieve this goal by finding and organizing the best training courses and seminars for our employees and by sharing my knowledge of different soft skills with them. I like to look for something more in people to help them achieve, realize and accept their greatness.

It is very important for central bank employees (as for any other experts) that they do not only possess the best technical knowledge and expertise but that they also know how to use and share this knowledge, how to communicate with other experts, work as part of a team and lead, and effectively use all their potential. It is also essential to encourage them to share with the world more of themselves than they presently do.

My favorite metaphor for absorbing knowledge is the story of “The jar of life”. You can find it in the internet (images, articles, Youtube inserts) and it is applicable to different areas of life. I use it as a metaphor for gaining knowledge and skills.

A short version of the story goes like this:

A professor took a big jar and filled it to the brim with stones the size of fists.

“Is the jar full?” he asked the students.

“Of course it’s full!” they answered.

The professor then took stones the size of marbles and put them in the jar.

“Is the jar full?” he asked the students again.

“Of course it’s full!” they answered.

The professor then took some sand and poured it into the jar.

“Is the jar full now?” he asked the students.

“Of course it’s full!” they agreed.

The professor then took a bottle of beer and poured it into the jar.

He explained, “The jar represents your life. Stones the size of fists represent important things. If everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. Stones the size of marbles are other things that matter to you. The sand is everything else, the small stuff. The beer just shows that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.

Source: https://balancedaction.me/2012/10/17/the-jar-of-life-first-things-first/

To be confident about ourselves and our performance in the world we have to absorb different kind of knowledge and skills with an awareness of how to set priorities and know what matters the most. We should also bear in mind that there is always room for more skills and expertise. The beer represents the idea that we should have fun putting the knowledge into the jar. At the same time, we need other people around us to learn from them and share our knowledge, while creating a miracle in the process.

By filling up the jar we create another miracle: we can then teach other people about things that we know very well, while we lose nothing. Quite the contrary – by sharing and teaching we learn too and find space in our jar for new wisdom. It is like love: the more love you have, the more you can give, and by giving love it only grows in you.

Writing this blog entry was my way of stepping out of the comfort zone with the purpose to share with you a bit more of myself than I usually do.