“If your not learning something new everyday, then your not paying attention.”
I’ve said this for sometime now. I really started to believe it when I started to watch my son learn about his world when he was an infant. He’s 12 now and still eager about learning, but not necessarily school learning. As a Minecrafter and iPod game app player my boy is always learning. Albert Einstein said, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”; Thanks George Corous for sharing Einstiens quote in the opening chapter of you new book, The Innovators Mindset. I didn’t know he said that when I first thought about “…then you’re not paying attention”. Albert didn’t say you’re dead but headed that direction, maybe quicker than if your were mindfully engaged in learning.
Learning is a likely a key part of healthy living. Consider some of your best vacations. Not necessarily the most luxurious, but most enjoyed. We went to Oregon this past summer and I think I sat on my camp chair for maybe 90 minutes, not per day but over the entire eight day trip, thus not restful. But it was a great vacation. What did I learn, you ask? How to catch crabs from the public pier; how a microbrewery made a name for itself and partnered with a locale Restaraunteer to care for the community of fisherman and families in the small town of New Port; how to find a swimming-hole that the locals frequent as the ocean is just toooooo cold for any of our liking. Yes, my family and friends played games but not the ones that were basic but complex strategy games. We were always on the go. And it was the best trip we’ve been on in recent times.
How do you vacation? That may tell you something of your value of learning. I’m not trying to guilt you into learning, but challenge you to try something which throws you off balance just a bit and you learn from.
How do you approach your classroom, everyday? When I was student teacher 7 years ago I observed my sponsor teacher’s drive to improve his practice even after he had it all dialed in after many years of teaching the same courses. His students benefit as a result.
I just did a Google search for my opening statement concerned that it someone else’s idea and I found that Ray Leblond, Regional Marketing Manager, British Columbia at Stantec
“You learn something every day if you pay attention.” My statement is from a not perspective. Does that make me a glass half full Or half empty kind of guy? Not sure but I do know that the half glass of water is heavy, due to gravity, if you hold it for a long time, Learning too is heavy. Relationships affect our learning a great deal. Dr Steven Sheiner shares his thoughts on learning at http://www.yourprescriptionforsuccess.com/you-learn-something-new-every-day-if-youre-paying-attention/. Here’s a videoblog he recorded:
My hope is that you are inspired to keep you mind open as well as your eyes, and other senses, when you walk into tomorrow. You may just learn something new!