The World is Our Classroom

When we were born, we had no knowledge besides instinct.  As time passed, we discovered we had legs and arms and hands.  We gradually started figuring things out.  Human’s rate of learning in those first few months of life is extraordinary.

When we entered school, we began learning new skills, expanded our vocabulary and learned to read and write.  With that knowledge, we were able to continue through our school years absorbing more and more information.

Then, we graduated.  Unfortunately, many people stop learning at that point.  Sure everyone learns something just going through the motions of life.  However, it is in the action of learning, intentionally gaining new knowledge that our brains stay alive and active.  Many studies show that mental activity may even prevent mental diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.

Learning is a habit, a good habit that we need to sustain throughout our lives.  Sitting in front of a television is passive activity.  The benefits of learning are lost.  To challenge your brain, you need to do new things, go to different places and read!

Travel is an excellent learning activity.  Seeing new places, meeting new and different people and experiencing new opportunities helps you to acquire a wealth of knowledge. 

Starting a new hobby is a wonderful learning exercise.  Not too long ago, I took up beading.  I am not all that good at it, but I enjoy it, it requires thought and I have developed a new skill.  Perhaps you enjoy “crafting,” or you want to learn to ski, paint, golf… There are myriad hobbies where you can learn the intricacies required and meet new people.

Reading, of course, is the most active way to learn new information.  Surveys show that 42% of all college graduates in the United States never read another book after graduation.  42%!  I was shocked to read that.

In today’s world, there are many different reading mediums.  Books are the most obvious, but in recent years, books have become digitized with the advent of Kindle and Nook readers.  A whole library is now available at our fingertips.  For those with a limited budget, the books we have read for centuries are still available at bookstores and libraries.  I am an avid reader, but I still read actual books.  I frequent my local library, and I am always pleased to see that it is very well used by the community.

To learn and keep up with current events, there are newspapers both in print and online.  Fortunately, newspapers include far more than politics and the latest murder.  You can learn about art, cooking, your community and much more in your local newspaper.

Obviously you read blogs, another great place to learn about a wide variety of subjects.  Because there are personal blogs, sports and art-related blogs, business blogs and so much more, they are an almost endless source of knowledge.

Once we left school, our learning became self-directed.  Learning is a huge part of what makes life interesting and fun.  And we are in total control of when, how much and what we learn.