Learning something new
“The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.”Brian Herbert
Learning is a lifelong pursuit. We start off in nursery, elementary school and continue through the high school, college and maybe university years. But, what happens after that? For many, what happens is that we settle into our routine of jobs, responsibilities and tasks of life and the only learning that takes place is what’s necessary to get by. As a result, our learning soon consists of acquiring the new skills and abilities that are presented to us by our circumstances. This could be skills and training at our job, learning how to run and manage a home, understanding how to navigate a marriage and parenthood or learning how to deal with emotions like loss and fear as we go through trials.
We continue to learn through experience and necessity, we don’t always choose to learn for the sake of adventure and curiosity. Do we get tired or comfortable? Are we set in our ways? Do we lose our desire to challenge ourselves? Perhaps we doubt our ability and fear takes over? Whatever the reason, I think that many people aren’t motivated to try something new.
New things I’ve learned
This past few months I being motivated to try to write something new on this blog. I had a desire to talk to people about my business venture, be more joyful and see the good in life. I’ve also had a lifelong desire to write about my passion for textiles. Though I had a lot to learn (and still do), I love the process of learning that I’m going through and I love the enjoyment it brings me. Above all, I feel invigorated by the challenge and a renewed sense of purpose because there is always so much more to learn.
What keeps us from learning something new?
There are so many things that hold us back from learning something new. One of the main things that holds us back is a fear of failing. Embarking on something new involves risk and a certain degree of humility. There is a chance that what we set out to learn is going to be too challenging or that we might not be successful in that area.
Another thing that hold us back is time and energy. Learning a new skill or subject will take effort and this often means prioritizing the learning in our busy lives. It can feel overwhelming to know where to start and how to find the time. I think learning something new takes a motivation to grow. We will not set out to learn something new unless we are motivated to expand, improve and develop beyond our current state. It involves choosing to be an even better version of ourselves.
When we learn a new skill or subject we satisfy our curiosity, feel a renewed sense of purpose, strengthen our minds, stimulating curiosity and increase our self-confidence. In addition, we push ourselves past our comfort zone and discover new things, not only about the skill or subject, but also about ourselves. Often times learning a new skill or practice becomes a positive distraction from the routine of our lives.
We are so blessed to live in a day and age where we have abundant learning opportunities easily accessible at our finger tips. Learning a new skill or subject has never been easier. We can look on YouTube to learn embroidery, how to play an instrument or how to sew a dress. We have podcasts at our disposal that teach about any subject under the sun. The internet supplies countless resources to guide us as we navigate our way through any topic.
When I was growing up my mother always said, “You learn something new every day”. It is one of her sayings that I always remember. I love the idea of learning something new each day and the hope that it gives me to know that there is always something new to discover. To me this means that life will never be boring. I took that decision long time ago, choosing to learn something new and challenging myself to grow.
I Challenge you to:
Make a list of things you have always wanted to learn.
Include subjects you are interested in.
Skills you want to possess.
Processes you want to understand better or business ideas.
Dreaming is the first step and will inspire you to improve yourself and grow.
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