For the longest time, I have had learning as one of the values that I am driven by. Besides family, empathy, respect, integrity and excellence, learning is also a priority for me.

I learn from any and every thing; any and every one.

I recall having a heated conversation with a senior colleague of mine when I was in paid employment many years back.

In a fit of rage, I said to her: “I have learnt nothing from you, these past years”.

With a moment’s thought, it hit me! I was wrong.

 

I apologised to her and rephrased it. Then I said: “I have learnt from you, how and who not to be”

There you have it. An eureka moment that was for me. That has since shaped my approach to learning.

Another observation I have made is that when we hear the word learning, we are often tempted to assume that it can only occur from without. This is not true.

We are in a constant fellowship and communication with ourselves – you are in constant fellowship and communication with yourself.

Your emotions and feelings are given expression, first by your own thoughts, before they are validated by your actions or inactions. Except for when I am meditating and making a conscious effort to shut out all distractions, I am often besieged with my own thoughts. One day, I recall, complaining to a very good friend of mine about how ‘noisy’ I was on my inside. That particular day, I just couldn’t keep my thoughts out. It was a myriad of exchanges. It felt like a market place in there – each one doing her own thing; as though oblivious of the fact that ‘I’ was supposed to be in charge. If they could just be quiet!

 

But seriously, besides all of the drama I just explained, my thoughts are really my best buddies. Not sure what I would do without them.

 

The internal conversations I have are priceless. For my mind is my primary resource centre.  It is a hub for ideas, strategies, learnings and counsel. It provides a blue print for my living and daily interactions with myself and others. Small wonder, I protect it; filling it up with only healthy food.

If you want to see the quality of your life improve, you should listen, connect and reconnect to the core of your being. That way, you can sift all of the endless information that is splashed around and determine what is best and just right for you.

You only stop learning when you choose to, for there exists all around us, several opportunities to learn. For free too, if I might add. For nature, things living and non-living, offer us countless occasions of learning. It is wisdom to listen, to see and to appreciate the vastness that we are a part of.

Learning is a committment you should make.

Would you commit to truly learning from this day forward?