Learning How To Learn, January 14 Daily Reflection

Jake's tied shoe

“I tied it Mommy! I really tied it Mommy!”

Jake tied his shoe for the first time on his own. He has been trying for a year now off and on. The most difficult part is putting it through that loop and pulling without the entire process becoming unraveled. Do you remember learning how to tie your shoes for the first time? I was the fourth child so my mom paid my brother 75 cents to teach me how to do it. She had been trying with me but was frustrated because I was not that interested. However, when my big brother Jeff, whom I idolized, taught me I learned within just a few minutes. Amazing what motivation can do for each of us!

Tying our shoes is the beginning of a long process of learning. I asked my dad once in grade school “Dad, why on earth do we have to go to school?” At the time I could not grasp his reply “We go to school to learn how to learn.” As I grew up and entered college undecided about a major I revisited that idea with my Dad once more. At that time he thought of college more as a learning and growth process than an institution that guaranteed a career path. So we had a philosophical talk about his theory that we receive an education to learn how to learn. The process of learning is conditioning our brains to learn anything at anytime. So I just chose a major that I enjoyed learning about Psychology, I loved it. However, when I graduated I really did not want to go into that field. I found something not even related to it but I had the confidence that I could learn anything well. Of course we learn specific skills such as tying our shoes and working with numbers in order to aid us in our lives. But my Dad truly gave me a gift that I might be able to see the bigger picture instead of each little assignment.

Learning is a process that starts at birth and ends at death in our human lives. As we learn we grow and evolve more fully into the human we are meant to be. Learning should have no end point or limitations it is about growing, evolving and maturing in all parts of our lives. We should embrace our God given ability to learn for some are not given such a gift. Today, think about the ways in which you learn from your family, your work, your friends and your world. Continue to embrace the process of learning how to learn your whole life through.

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