Learning, knowledge, and wisdom…all positive words in almost any society or group. People look up to those who put in the hard work to learn something difficult, and the time invested into those bits of experience and knowledge that make us who we are. I’m not talking about memorizing facts and trivia, in the age of Google and smartphones this type of knowledge isn’t quite as important as it used to be. Anyone can become an “instant expert” in a subject with a few hours in wikipedia. What I admire, and what most people will admire in the future, is DEEP knowledge of a broad subject, or a difficult physical skill like a sport, martial art, or musical instrument expertise.
There are a few things that keep us from being our best in terms of our minds.
First, if you haven’t really used your mind to learn something new, it can be quite difficult to pick up a new subject. Our brain is like a muscle, only instead of muscle fibers for quick and slow twitch contractions, we have neural connections! If you use your brain often, and challenge it every day with difficult tasks, your brain will be pliable and quick to pick up new patterns. Don’t forget, in your quest for new things, to practice and continue using and thinking about old things too! Don’t let those “old” brain areas atrophy like an unused muscle! Start today and pick up a new hobby or interest. Your brain will surprise you with its flexibility before you know it. Our natural inclination in life is to avoid discomfort as much as possible, and like working out our muscles, working out our brain is a little uncomfortable at first. ANY kind of change is uncomfortable. If you can recognize, embrace, and work through that fact, you can accomplish great things despite the discomfort of change.
The other thing that keeps us from learning new things is, quite simply, fear! We must all realize how important it is to keep growing and and being open minded. Things that are completely different that are really difficult and make us look silly or that we may take the risk of being ridiculed or rejected. To get over fear, just take that step and don’t worry about what other people will think. Are you worried that people may ridicule your interests? Who cares?! If you can’t get over it, just don’t tell people. I think that if something is worth your time, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.
