One of the things I am passionate about is learning.
I believe somewhere deep within all of us, lies a natural insatiable hunger for learning.This is why our minds are almost always wondering particularly at a young age.
Not a day passes without us wondering.
We wonder about life, we wonder about the environment.
That “wonder” we hold in heart is a gift that should propel us to learn.
It should propel us to find answers to our how, why, what and when.
If you are a dreamer and you want to see your dreams take shape you have to be open to learning, you have to learn about what it takes to go where you want to be.
In my other blog post I talked about how legendary comes to us when we devote ourselves to a life of learning.
Passions alone cannot make you exceptional, what makes you exceptional is the skills you attain, the knowledge you amass and that happens through developing a habit of learning.
My rock star when it comes to learning is Madam Marie Curie.
What makes Madam Curie more remarkable is that she did the seemingly impossible.
She attained 19 degrees and was the first woman to win a Nobel prize. She was also the first woman ever to get two Nobel prizes in different categories.
She stretched herself to grow in the field where at that time very few women thrived. This incredible woman made discoveries that changed the world of science.
We cannot talk about “X-ray” without remembering her.
The benefits of learning are reflected in her life as they are in lives of other people who become masters of their craft. Here are 8 reasons learning matters that I would like to share with you today.
1.Learning opens your mind to the world of possibilities.
Before you learn a skill you often think of certain tasks as difficult or even impossible but once you try your hands on those tasks you will begin to appreciate that which you thought was out of reach is in fact doable. Learning gives you the “I can do this too” attitude (plus a changed attitude is everything). It empowers you to get out of the comfort zone.
The more you know about something the more you neutralize your fears that you “cant” and build confidence to dive in.
2. Learning brings growth.
Learning encourages you to become better than good and to move from good to great. In other words, it kills the tendency to settle for and the thinking that you have arrived because it constantly points you to the things you don’t know and often to the things you know but you are not doing.
3. Learning changes your outlook of life.
It opens your mind to new ideas. For example in the face of challenges a lot of people fret because they do not know how to handle challenges but those who learn are more likely to be better prepared for the challenges. It is through learning that you get to appreciate how others who have been in your place have done it. You get to see the perspective of others regarding the challenging tasks you come across.
4. Learning inspires you to create a difference.
It is people like Madam Curie who are passionate learners who in the end create a dent in this world. Do you know anyone who changed the world without devoting themselves to self-education? If you have dreams to change the world, you must make life your lecture room.
5. Learning keeps you relevant.
In a world that is constantly changing you become irrelevant if you don’t become a life-long learner. The skills that ranked top years back, are now quickly becoming irrelevant. The only way to become relevant is to keep learning.
6. Learning is the ground work for your future success.
Recently I was invited to address students at a prize giving in former school, as I prepared the speech I was surprised as to how many lessons I learnt in that school which shaped me, I shared my experience of how the English camp I attended in the school fueled my passion for writing.
You might not see the benefits of what you are learning now but one day when you look back you will realize the life lessons that were packed in the seemingly unimportant events of your life.
When you learn even the lessons that seem to be of lesser value might serve you exponentially in the future. Only later will you realize that you were actually an apprentice.
7. Learning puts you at an advantage.
I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious.” Albert Einstein
You stand out and have advantages over people who are not devoted to learning. You outshine others in the conversations you make, in the activities you are engaged in and you will look like you have some special talent. Learners get opportunities others fail to get.
8. You become interesting.
How do peak performers become so interesting?
Most of the time they are great learners. They adorn themselves with knowledge, they are life time learners.
There is something extraordinarily attractive about people who are constant learners. They gain the ability to influence others and to connect with other people.
People become interested in what they have to say or what they do because they are value adding, their ideas change the world, they offer solutions, whether its social solutions, scientific solutions or economic solutions, somehow we will turn to these people.
Now its your turn
What are your learning aspirations?
Do you want to learn a new skills?
Do you want to take on a new course? Share here what you would like to learn, writing it down might be the first step to achieving your learning aspirations.
Do not thwart the internal longings of her heart, the longing to know.
I believe that winged dreams will fly, and learning is one way to give your dreams power to fly.