“Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to ones self esteem.” Dr Thomas Saz
Learning is one of the most powerful things in the world.
I talk about growth and evolution all the time. It’s one of our basic human needs, it changes the entire landscape of our lives, and one of the most natural things that unfolds throughout our lives.
What is also clear is that there’s a tremendously powerful, counter force that runs alongside growth. It’s the force, which is created by a certain part of all of us, to stay the same.
Yes, there’s an entity inside each of us that’s so attached to certainty that we keep our realty the same, broken, worn out, unhealthy, dysfunctional existence. “Staying in bed with the devil you know.”
This is also the war we feel inside between how much we hang out in a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. We all actually spend time in each mindset but how we come to the ratio we live says almost everything about us.
We can spend too much time in a growth mindset and we can spend too much time in a fixed mindset. You likely know someone who does both of these. That person might be looking at you in the mirror…
Here’s my secret… learning. The art and process of changing information into knowledge AKA wisdom.
I know when I was younger it became clear to me that I wasn’t very good at learning. I didn’t know how to take in new information properly and integrate it into my mind in a useful way to shape my future. It wasn’t clear to me how to select specific content, memorize things, or formulate ways to create adaptation through what I learned.
So I’m separating “learning” from “knowledge”.
Learning being the process of acquiring knowledge. Knowledge being the content that’s integrated to instigate growth and eventually “change”. Change so that we can experience more happiness, ease, and peace for ourselves and the important people in our lives. What do you want more of?
If you give me someone who’s not just willing to learn but hungry to learn, I can show you someone who will find higher and higher states of consciousness.
In order to learn I believe we have to surrender to what we think we know. For all you “know it alls” out there, you’re screwed. Along with surrender comes humility and modesty.
The opportunity;
Where in your life do you feel like you’re supposed to know a lot of things?
How does your need to look good stop you from learning?
How do you decipher what information you take in as useful or not useful?
How do you integrate what you learn?
In what ways do you share your knowledge?
How does your ego get caught up in you sharing your knowledge?