For the first 25 years of life we are constantly learning and being educated about the world we live in. We learn from toddler age to walk, speak, dress, and live! During elementary, middle, and high school we are in many different classes, growing our knowledge attending school daily and learning from life's lessons. If we attend college we are tested heavily on topics we may
pursue a career in. But after college, what's next?
Is that it with our education and learning?
It shouldn't be.
I graduated from college 2 months ago and it has been interesting to observe my parents and even grandparents go back to obtain higher education or learn a new language. It proves to me how starving our minds are for knowledge and the opportunity to learn during our whole life. My grandparents studied the language Tagalog and practiced it while serving a mission in the Philippines and my grandpa is now studying Swahili to help missionaries teach the many Swahili people where they live. At 73 they are still learning!
My dad is beginning his masters in conducting at 49 year old. It is incredible to watch him grow in passion and excitement as he expands his knowledge in the music world. My brother is constantly challenging himself in learning new skills like beat-boxing, pogo-sticking, yo-yoing, solving puzzles, magic... He masters a skill and then moves on to the next! I have learned from many examples that throughout our whole lives we should be stretching our minds and actively learning, not just those first 25 years of public education.
But why does it matter? It is definitely more comfortable to graduate from high school or college and float through the rest of life, avoiding the concentration and effort that education requires from us. We could just stick with an easy job and leave it at that. OR we can create opportunities to learn and become more educated! We can push ourselves, step out of our comfort zone, and enjoy the process that learning something new requires. We only get one life, might as well learn as much as we can from our experience here. I am currently making an effort myself to continue my education after my "formal" education.
In order to increase one's education and knowledge about the world one could...
1)Learn a new sport- swimming, golfing, water-skiing, volleyball (I can work on that one!)...
2) Learn a new language
3)Learn to master a practical skill- sewing, crochet, cooking, baking, decorating
4) Learn how a car functions or how to change a tire
5)Learn a new instrument (don't say you are too old to learn, you aren't)
6) Read non-fiction books and biographies on different historical events and people
7) Learn about the lives of your elders or ancestors and learn from their example
8) Study religion and be more acquainted with your beliefs
9) Learn an unusual but entertaining skill- how to jumprope, do the splits, solve puzzles, origami
10) Women- learn how to do hair/make up different, nail decorating styles, scrapbooking
11) Learn how to better care for your body- eating habits, exercise, emotional health
These days we have youtube videos on how to learn practically anything and internet/books to study endless articles, studies, and topics. There is literally no excuse to starve our brain from learning! So if you feel you are in a "comfortable" time of life, learn something new and take a step out of your comfort zone :) Below is a fantastic motivational video!
Challenge: Consider something new you can dedicate 10 minutes to learning each day this week, then follow through!
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