Have you ever wished that you could be that type of person who seems to get a buzz from learning something new? Well this blog is for you my friend!
You’re not alone. There is something wonderful about that buzz and energy and uplifting feeling of the excitement of learning and the newness that often comes with it.
Becoming a lifelong learner can be transformative. Especially for your lived experience with your hidden disability. Learning can open up all the doors and windows of your mind. Learning can take off the roof of your mind and let in the blustering fresh air of infinite possibility into your mind, your heart, into your life.
Lifelong learning enables you to break out of that ceiling that the world can often impose upon us, and we forget that we actually control that ceiling…….in fact there IS no ceiling!
It is so important for your personal growth so you can be more, do more, help more, receive more and contribute more. After all, isn’t this why we’re all here?
Okay let’s dive in.
1. Embrace Curiosity
I’d like to encourage you to have a mindset of curiosity and openness to new experiences. Sometimes all we need is a little tweak in perspective as to the way we choose to view life. Sometimes you can get a bit closed off or consumed by all the stuff around your hidden disability and if feels like you have no headspace for anything else.
Let alone anything new. Give yourself permission to get curious again. Curious enough to ask questions, to want to understand things that you currently don’t. Having a desire to be open to adventure.
Lifelong learning has a fun element of ‘play’ about it and can be really exciting. You wouldn’t think twice about encouraging a child to have ‘play’ time would you? It is important to their development in so many ways. Why not you as an adult? Are you not allowed to have fun learning and developing yourself? Must life always be so serious – carrying what can often feel like the weight of your hidden disability.
You may wish to explore new interests and discover new passions through books, online courses, or events in your local community. I’m a big fan of online courses! I have found it to be a great way to learn new things, new skills, a new awareness about a topic. What might you like to try?
2. Set Your Personal Learning Plan
This is so much fun. We’re not necessarily talking about your career learning or the course modules you need to complete as a condition of your ongoing employment. I’m talking about a personal learning plan uniquely curated for YOU.
Your individual interests. Your abilities. This is so exciting as you put yourself at the centre of this plan, having full control over what and how and when and WHY you’d like to learn this new thing. Experiment with this new adventure.
Perhaps you have no idea where to start but just know that you want to do SOMETHING to shake things up and reawaken your heart and soul which feels like its been in a coma for years. Well, I remember when I felt that way, and someone introduced me to a 4 day event called ‘Unleash The Power Within’.
Wow, that completely blew the roof off for me. I was immersed into this 4 day melting post of personal development and OH MY GOODNESS, I’ve never been the same since.
It was fantastic. So much so, I’ve been on it 4 times so far, and I’ll probably go again. Because it changes you, and every time, you get something different – a new insight, new invigoration, new friends, new levels, new depths, a new and improved version of you! I would not hesitate to recommend it to you my friend.
It may be that you’d like to look at your plan for the next 12 months. What would you like to learn? How often? Could you learn something new every 4 months? Perhaps an immersion experience of 2-4 days? What about an online course that may last for 6 months, requiring some input from you every 2 weeks? This is your personal learning plan. Make it for you.
3. Create Your Supportive Learning Environment
This can really encourage learning and growth. Not everyone is gonna get it. This new learning thing you’re doing. This new learning quest – it may make other people feel uncomfortable. For a whole host of reasons too long to go into here. The point is, it’s okay. They may be your nearest and dearest. But that doesn’t mean they are your ‘people’ when it comes to your choice to become a lifelong learner.
It may be that you’ll feel better building your own small network of like-minded people just like you. Or perhaps you’ll be open to joining an online community to enjoy shared learning experiences.
I enjoy learning alone. It fits in nicely with the default introvert within me. But it can be a lot of fun learning with other people who get excited about learning and developing in the way that I do.
That’s why I joined a Mastermind community where I found my ‘people’. It’s electric! Especially when you come across people who are on your journey, but are perhaps a few years ahead of you – there is so much to learn and you can see what is possible.
Equally, it is lovely when you are approached by someone on a similar journey to you, but perhaps they are a few years behind you, and you can relate to where they are, and you can offer them tips, guidance and help. A hand to pull them up along the way.
Well I hope that this gives you some food for thought and I encourage you to embrace a love of lifelong learning. There are so many rich benefits in store for you.
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I look forward to hearing how you get on.
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