Respect and Honor This!

As passionate as I've been about my own continuous learning, I was quite surprised to discover I sometimes unconsciously hold back my growth so that I would not surpass my mentors or teachers, especially when they are ones I look up to. They have guided me so much in my growth it just seems wrong if I surpass them because then they would no longer be my mentor or teacher, wouldn't that be same as being ungrateful and disrespectful of me? Wait. Now that I've heard myself said that out loud, it just sounded so . . . off from the truth; in fact it does have a ring of self-imposed limitation to it. Whenever I'm holding back it just feel like something inside is not quite "right", as if a piece of me is missing. I think that's because when I am not fully engage I'm not giving 100% of myself to life. It dampens the fire burning in my heart. Having tasted many times over how delicious it is to come fully alive with passion, this feels very much like a misalignment of my mind and my heart. In fact, I think I just realized something else: those who mind my surpassing them are not truly interested in teaching me all that they know and those who truly are interested in teaching me all that they know wouldn't mind! And the best to honor them is to keep learning and growing to the best of my ability! It is in honoring myself that I too honor them and their teaching. This, feels like what true respect is about.