Everywhere you look there’s an opportunity to learn and grow. An expanding mind is alive with possibility and searches for new ways to stretch. When you seek to learn and grow, you are refusing to get old and stale. And, that’s a beautiful and sexy thing.
One of the many reasons I love to read is because I love to learn new things. I read everything from how-to books to memoirs to steamy romances. Each genre offers a glimpse into a new world be it gardening, stock investing, surviving life on the road, or traveling to far off galaxies. My mind stretches when I read. It also stretches when I dive into research mode when writing a novel. Every new book offers me new ways to view the world. For my novel, Beneath Everything, talk about a new view. I learned how to breathe underwater at seventy feet beneath the surface! Not only did I learn a new skill in life, but hey, some might even say I developed a new super power! hahaha
When we start opening our minds up to new ideas, we shed old tired ones. Real progress happens at that point. This is when problems, that at first glance seem too arduous to solve, are solved. And, this is when new products are invented, new friends are made, and new dreams are created.
Learn from many sources
When I’m not seeking knowledge in a book, my next favorite source is through interacting with people.
As a writer I seek out new ideas constantly. When in a social situation I rarely pass up an opportunity to chat one-on-one with someone sitting idle. I find chatting with the elderly and with shy people to be most fascinating. They are the ones most people pass by in a crowd. They are the ones I naturally gravitate towards because, underneath their seemingly quiet exterior, they are people craving to be understood, to be acknowledged, to be given a chance to share what’s in their minds and hearts.
Seek to Learn
Seeking out opportunities to learn places us in a position of perpetual growth and protects us from stagnation. When we sit idle, we die a little inside. The creative juices dry up. Also, our desire to pursue greatness withers like a field of brittle, drought-laden grass. We’re no longer fertile. In other words, we become mere bystanders watching the rest of the world bloom around us.
Always Search for Something to Learn
When we open up to new knowledge, we are planting seeds for a brighter future. Once that seed is planted, there is no stopping the growth. There is a freedom that comes with knowledge that, when harnessed, can expand your options and help make this world an even better place to live.
Ways to Learn
Find a Coach or Mentor
Seek out someone who would be willing to teach you what she knows. People love to share insights, especially if they know it’ll affect you positively. A mentor has already experienced many of the things you want to learn. Let her guide you and show you the ropes. Her energy will surely ignite yours!
Teach Someone Else
A lot of knowledge can be learned by teaching others. Something magical happens when your brain goes into teaching mode. It draws you out of boredom. You learn more efficient and effective ways of doing things. Your curious brain will hear mistakes as you speak them. And, the questions posed by your new student may create an awareness you never considered.
Get Out of Comfort
One of the best ways to break boredom and apathy is to get uncomfortable. Find something you’re not effective at doing, and learn how to do it better. Your brain will search for solutions to get you out of comfort. The more you seek, the more you will reap. You’ll discover uncharted territories that can have a dramatic impact on the way you view the world. This new perspective can excite that dormant part of your brain that’s been crying for a challenge.
What’s Your Method?
In what ways have you been successful when it comes to learning and growing? Do you have an idea on how to energize and stretch your mind?
