It’s true that no matter your age or stage in life, there’s never a time when you don’t learn something new. In fact, right from birth you just keep on learning every day. As you interact with others at home, school, work or play, you gain knowledge, wisdom, and experience. These lessons are hugely important and wonderfully beneficial. They enrich relationships and help make you a great parent, grandparent, class mate, friend, work colleague, or neighbour. So check out these tips and keep your zest for learning bubbling over. You’ll live a splendidly useful, active life!
DON’T STOP LEARNING:
My mother once said that through me – her firstborn child, she learned to be a parent. “You didn’t come with a hand book telling me what to do as you grew. Each day I had to learn to be a mother and help you become a happy, healthy child.”
TIPS:
– Be willing to keep on learning every day. Don’t think “I know all about that!” Just as a closed fist can’t receive anything that’s offered, so a closed mind can’t take in life-improving ideas.
– Be humble. “Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea.” Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health p. 323
– Keep an open mind. Don’t immediately say something won’t work. Contemplate all possibilities, especially those you’ve never considered before.
– Don’t stop learning. Be determined. Investigate new pathways of thinking – including spiritual concepts. “Wisdom is of utmost importance, therefore get wisdom, and with all your effort, work to acquire understanding.” Bible. Proverbs 4:7
LEARN FROM OTHERS:
In the laboratory of life you may not always have all the answers. When this happens, don’t think you’re too old, or too cool, to learn from someone else.
TIPS:
– Be keen to learn. It’s not always about how much you already know, but understanding what you need to learn and how, when, and where to learn it.
– Have an inquiring mind. I once dug a channel to run storm water from a downpipe into the garden. A young neighbour asked me what I was doing. I explained I was digging a channel. He asked why? I told him. He asked why? An hour later he was still learning!!
– Benefit from the experience of others. Value what they know. Take up good ideas or adapt them to your situation. Whatever you do, plan to keep on learning every day. It’s good for your health.
Beverly Goldsmith writes on the connection between spirituality and health and is a professional Christian Science practitioner and teacher.
This article has been published on Motherpedia. Read more by me on Motherpedia…
Also published in the February 2018 edition of Around Point Cook and Around Altona Community newspaper in print and online via Issuu.
Photo attribution: © Glow Images. Models used for illustrative purposes.
I’m a professional Christian Science Practitioner and Teacher. Through my prayer-based practice, I help people find happiness, health and healing.
Susan Johnson says
Thank you Beverly – this is wonderful advice!! Another benefit of learning new things daily, and, of course, you must cultivate an enquiring mind to do this, is the ability to have conversations with people of all ages and interests wherever you go – if you know what children are currently reading or doing you can chat easily without seeming patronising,- with younger people you can keep up with new ideas and fashions, with people your own age you can be current about their/our concerns and with older people you will know enough to ask them to share their memories and be able to understand the context of their times. Don’t confine yourself to your own particular interests, almost everything is interesting once you have an open mind- all this means you will be an interesting conversationalist at any event and most of all you will grow in wisdom and NEVER be bored!
Beverly Goldsmith says
Thank you Susan for your insightful comment. Well done. Glad you liked the post. Being able to converse with others is so important – especially when they may be on their own and so easily blessed by a few words of happy conversation. with love…
Lorraine Mahon says
Dear Beverly,
Your article took me right back to my childhood, where apparently I said ” I can’t ” on a regular basis, my Mother t became disappointed in saying “Yes you can ” Sat down one day and recounted the story of Bruce and the spider. The story as I remember was of a Scottish King who had been defeated and was in hiding convinced he would never be able to lead his people again, One day as he sat dejectedly in a cave he saw a spider try to reach his web, time and time again,failing each time, but then he succeeded.. King Bruce took this as an omen, if you persist and have courage there is hope. and he did manage to gather troops and fight eventually setting his country free. From then on my Mother just had to say ” Remember Bruce and the spider”, In the long run it was an effective remedy as I no longer dared to say “I can’t but to say “I can”.
Beverly Goldsmith says
Thank you Lorraine for your good comment. Yes we have to persist and have courage to keep on learning and succeeding. I am sure that you are an I-can-person now. Well done.