Learn Something New (and Enjoy It!)
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Welcome to Spark an Idea Thursday. Each week we’ll share some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to grab our image and carry the tradition to your blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired!
This week’s “Spark an Idea Thursday” theme is about “being a lifetime learner,” a topic which is very close to my heart. Keeping your heart and mind open to new things, being interested in the world around you, and learning something new every day are (at least for me) the keys to a happy life.
When it comes to being an entrepreneur, continuing to learn new things isn’t really a choice – it’s a necessity.
If you just plod along doing what you’ve always done, and fail to adapt to the changing world around you, you will fall behind your competitors. But what’s even more important is the joy and vitality that come from learning something you didn’t know before. My late grandfather, Hy Perry, taught me that by example (thanks, Grandpop).
When I was very young, he found ways to make learning fun for me. I remember him creating little handmade “awards,” with gold stars and little drawings, and giving them to me as I learned the alphabet, numbers, and (eventually) reading. I still have those little scraps of paper and treasure them more than any of the “real” awards that came later.
My grandfather never stopped learning new things, and as a result, he was one of the most vibrant individuals I have ever met. At an age when most of his peers had stopped trying to “keep up” with new technology, he mastered it. He was using the internet, e-mail, and new software applications before most people my age. He taught the other seniors in his retirement community how to use their computers to stay in touch with their children and grandchildren. He agreed fully (and so do I) with Eleanor Roosevelt’s sentiment that “when you stop learning you stop living in any vital and meaningful sense.”
So the next time you have the chance to learn something new, embrace it. Don’t worry if you don’t catch on right away. When it comes to learning, the process is the point. Enjoy it.
Recommended Reading: You Learn by Living, by Eleanor Roosevelt
Traci Feit Love is a freelance writer, editor & communications consultant for businesses that need smart, impressive content. To learn more or to sign up for her free e-course, “How to Get More High-Paying Clients,” visit her website at http://tracifeitlove.com.
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Christina Lemmey is the mother of two school-aged girls, a wife, and the owner of 
I love what your grandpa did for you. You were his “golden girl” Hy was very bright and kept learning and doing. I’m sure you will follow in his footsteps.
Yes, you are right. Most people dont learn unless there is a necessity. When there is an opportunity to learn, most of us overlook it only to repent later. No doubt, we need to consolidate on what we are doing and what we know. Most people who found a comfort with their regular work, ignore the new opportunities unfolding everywhere. Some are afraid of the cost of learning something new. But having an open mind and embracing new things can make our lives more exciting and rewarding.
Thanks, Charlotte. It was really sweet of you to write