We All Need to Continue to Learn

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. Henry Ford (1863-1947) American Industrialist

In some respect or another we are all lifelong learners. Sometimes the teachers are found in traditional institutions of learning or praying, in books, films, on the web and in conversations with colleagues, friends, support groups, professionals, and family. Sometimes, however, we learn in the most obscure ways from people we would have least thought have anything to teach us.

One of the easiest ways to live a full and healthy life is to keep on learning. It is that easy.

Start by making a list of all the things you want to learn or do before you die. Some of the items on your list may cost more money or take more time to learn, but many can be done right in your home or community. If there is only one thing you do to make your life more joyful and fulfilling, try learning something new and if you like, bring along a friend to make it doubly fulfilling.

To get you started consider these ideas:

• Travel, travel anywhere, but especially to a foreign country where everything is different

• If you don’t like to travel or can’t afford it right now, read travel stories, watch travel films, take day trips, and go hear lectures at your local bookstore on travel books

• Learn to cook, to knit, to paint, to sculpture. Learn something new that involves your hands.

• Take classes in your profession and develop your career further. Go back to school and learn what you have always wanted to learn.

• Find out what your kids, your friends, or competitors are all talking about and learn how they are using new technology to help them reach their goals.

• Stretch your mind. Go to free lectures in your community or take a class at the community college. Ask the librarian for their favorite book and read it. Ask the video store for their favorite movie and watch it.

• Take up a musical instrument, take a singing class, or learn how to ballroom dance.

• Challenge yourself to learn a new sport; skiing, skating, and even bowling or notch it up and sign up for a marathon or a 2 day walk to benefit a worthy cause.

• Challenge your mind and learn how to play bridge or canasta or how to write your memoirs

Make it a goal to learn something new each day, each week, each year. As a result, life will be more joyful