Thing #1: Lifelong Learning

Let's be honest. I'm already a lifelong learner. In fact, I feel that if there is ever a time in my life when I stop learning, I'll more than likely shrivel up into an empty husk of myself. Horribly tragic.

This particular model of "Lifelong Learning" was intriguing to consider. Despite my resistance to consider a prescribed formula for lifelong learning, I nevertheless found myself admitting that many of the points this presentation made were valid.

The habits that I found agreeable included accepting responsibility for your own learning, having confidence as a learner, and mentoring others. As a person who constantly needs a challenge, I revel in being able to mentor people, no matter the circumstance. It's one of the main reasons I choose to teach, right behind keeping up with all the fly slang, fo' rizzle. Being able to not only provide support for another person, but also open their mind to a new concept teaches you more than any college course ever could.

The only two that I truly struggled with accepting were:

- Begin with an end in mind (a goal, basically)

I think that sometimes having an "end game" for learning can contain your experience, whereas keeping your options open can lead to paths you never expected. Sometimes these paths are much more beneficial than the original goal may have been, and sometimes they're fairly frivolous. It's a gamble I'm always willing to take.

- View problems as challenges.

Yes, some "problems" are truly challenges in disguise. A sheep in wolves' clothing, if you will. However, there are some problems that are there for a reason, that are not meant to be faced and overcome. For example, I have horrible balance. For years I saw this as a "challenge" that I needed to overcome in order to ride a bicycle, roller blade, and ice skate. However, at the age of 16, I finally conceded that perhaps the 6 scars and 3 shattered helmets meant that it was more of a problem than a challenge. :) Discovering and knowing your limits is important, otherwise you may be discouraged from continuing learning in other areas.

Of course, as I noted earlier, I try to approach most subjects with an open mind, so I am glad to consider outside perspectives on those two points.