As we go through
life, we have a tendency to focus on a few narrow paths: our careers, our
immediate family, our college major, our community. Each of those areas certainly
is enough to keep us busy!
They may not be
enough, though.
Often we feel
unfulfilled because we do nothing but work, raise our kids, study a specific field,
live in one small area. We desire to get away from it all for a while. This is
necessary to keep our minds fresh.
We don’t necessarily
have to travel long distances or abandon all we find comfortable to reboot our
mental and emotional health, though. Oftentimes the solution is as simple as
learning a little something new every day.
Picking up new
knowledge also may be paramount to maintaining a job, family and community. With
new information, we can bring a different perspective to work problem,
parenting, and local issues. With new information, we can better adapt to new
situations because we’re no longer trapped by the notion of “But we’ve always
done it this way.” With new information, we’re better able to think creatively.
This all occurs because when we actively learn new stuff, our understanding of
how the world operates broadens. We gain an understanding that transcends our
everyday lives.
How can you
learn something new? It’s easy. Google a word. Open a dictionary to a random
page and find the first word you don’t know. Go someplace you’ve never been
before. Talk to someone who specializes in something you know nothing about.
Take a class. Listen to public radio. Attend a lecture. Read a book.
What new thing
will you learn today?
