Learning

When you hear the word learning, what comes up for you?

How would you define this word?

Would it raise an eyebrow? Or would you be curious enough to ask questions?

Recently I had this word projected at me as a negative. A vague term that was coated with red flags.

Personally, I grew up in a household of educators. Learning was about going to school and getting an education. Learning was about trying new things and seeing if I liked them and wanted to continue to get better at them (this is how I came to have such open-minded tastebuds!). Learning was about discovery and giving myself access to an untapped vessel of knowledge and experience.

How do you learn best?

“What did you learn today?” – My parents used to ask me this. Even my parents friends would ask me this. I remember as a child, I had no interest in answering these questions.”Nothing.” or “Some stuff.” was usually the answer. I went to school they taught me some stuff, I get it, I learned, Ok?

Learning isn’t just about being in the classroom. It doesn’t necessarily come from a textbook. It’s not just about passing a test. Learning isn’t always a clear sought out A+B=C scenario. Learning can come in all different shapes and fashions.

I have started learning more about myself. Things I like, don’t like. Things I do or don’t do. Things that are old and have developed over the years as I’ve grown up. Things that are new that I hadn’t seen the way I see them now. I believe that we learn daily, that we have the ability to have a learning experience in all that we do, not just from a book we read, something we hear on the radio or by being shown how to do something. Sometimes the learning comes in the form of a feeling, a conversation, a taste.

I have started learning more about the people around me. Having the ability to see actions or words that come from people and what they mean. Love. Passion. Insecurity. Jealousy. Interest….the list goes on.

I challenge you to stop for a minute and think about what you’ve learned. About yourself. About someone around. About your relationships – with people, food, tv, exercise, technology….

I believe having the ability to look at yourself and life and see how you’ve grown, changed, learned, can be a cleansing and comforting feeling. Knowing that you aren’t the same person you were 1, 2, 5 years ago. That the experiences you’ve had, have lead you to where you are now and that you’ve had a choice in those decisions around those experiences.

What does learning mean to you? How do you learn? Think about it. Let me know.