“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” – Henry Ford
Some people consider their school days to be the only time in their life committed to learning in a finite way, and there are others who consider themselves lifelong pursuers of new skills and knowledge accumulation. The truth is, whatever your opinion on learning, that we never stop learning, whether we want to or not.
However, conscious learning and focused personal development in your adult years offers more than just the tools to do well in your local pub quiz. Learning as an adult continues to pay dividends to the student and opens many paths of knowledge and opportunity that they may not even have considered.
Here are some of the top reasons that we advocate lifelong education and horizon broadening!
1. The World Will Never Stop Changing
The world seems to move, change, and develop at quite a rate. With technology now flourishing and updating at the speed that it does, global communication being near instant, and world trends blossoming and fading sometimes within days, it is even more apparent than ever that there will always been something new to learn about. If one refuses to adapt to the ever-changing world around us, then one risks being left behind. Out of the loop. Outdated. Disconnected.
If learning as an adult is a habit of yours, you should never feel like the world has run off without you.
2. You, Yourself, Will Not Always Be the Same
Listen to yourself. Consider who you are. Do you still like the same things you liked when you were a teenager? Do you still enjoy doing things you learn how to do a decade ago? Are you still satisfied with your current hobbies, abilities, or job?
We, ourselves, develop and change all the time. Those who do not go along with these changes in themselves, tend to become frustrated and regretful. If you feel learning something different would make your life more interesting, more fulfilling or offer refreshment, then you should learn it! It might seem like a lot of effort initially, but fresh knowledge always gives more than it takes.
3. Brain Fitness
There are areas of our brain dedicated solely to learning and the attainment of new skills. Like any muscle, if these parts of the brain go unused, they become weaker. Learning new things as an adult helps to promote a fit and healthy brain, and to keep you discovering new joys and passions with ease throughout your adult years.
4. Fresh Connections
Learning is not just about the accumulation of knowledge; it is also about the connections you make and experiences you have as a result of the pursuit of learning. My mother has joined many groups in her retirement years, including yoga classes, a local choir, and a guitar class. These pursuits have seen her make many new and valuable relationships, and have taken her to amazing places all over the world. Her life considerably richer for having gone to a class or two.
5. Discovery and Opportunity
So, you have decided you want to try something new, but you aren’t sure what?
Although this might seem frustrating, its actually pretty exciting. You could try anything. You could try a bunch of new things an see what sticks. Go to the first session of a dozen new classes and see if anything tickles your fancy. You might find yourself becoming an expert in a subject that you had never even given a second thought to before. Learning is an adventure. Who knows what you might discover about yourself. Maybe you like fishing now? Or salsa? Or visiting medieval castles? Who knew?
6. Because You Can
Our world is more connected than ever, Therefore, learning as an adult is more accessible and acceptable than it has ever been. Its easy to learn new things, so why not? What’s the worst that could happen. Learning so often gets slated as a chore, but it can also be, and often is, a pure joy! So, get out there and try something new… the search engine is your oyster!
By Chris Thomson
Learning is also a path to even greater access to your creativity! Here are some thoughts on how to encourage that part of yourself even further… Cultivating Your Own Creativity
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