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It’s my birthday this week. Letting my new age sink in and embracing this next year wholeheartedly has got me thinking about a few things.
As I reflect back on what I’ve accomplished with my life, what I’m still working on, and what I hope to do before I cross the finish line, there are a few main themes that run through it all.
Some are more prevalent during certain times. Sisterhood. Motherhood. Family. Career. Creativity. Quilting. Glamping. Simon Baker. Chocolate. I could go on.
Learning for a Lifetime
One of the main themes that sticks out with festive flare and fireworks is the idea of learning for a lifetime. I know that sounds broad. You can learn all sorts of things every day just by reading a newspaper or scrolling Google news.
What I’m talking about is intentional learning. Reaching for knowledge just for the sake of it. Spending time feeding your brain and absorbing every ounce.
They say that humans learn the most in their first three years of life. That sounds fairly accurate to me, so I won’t dispute that whatsoever. But I would like to add that learning later in life has its benefits as well. Keeping your mind sharp, for one. Or enjoying the schoolhouse feeling of lightbulbs that go off in your head when you finally “get” something.
You can Always Learn More
Sometimes it’s easy to just decide that we know so much, how could we ever fit more in our brains? We’ve already learned so much and are doing just fine with the knowledge we’ve already amassed, why bother learning more? Especially if it’s not going to bring us a direct benefit?
Take algebra, for example. A few months ago, I decided that I needed to learn algebra. No, it didn’t really even interest me (I’m more of a “word” person.) And no, it’s really not something I am going to use in every day life (hold your judgement, sweet math teachers). I ordered the book on algebra because I just wanted to learn something new. Perhaps something I should have years ago. The act of learning is so fulfilling and exciting and human.
No matter how clever and well-read we think we are, we are never past a place in our lives when we can’t benefit from learning and seeking knowledge.
How I Accidentally Got Suckered In To Learning Irish
A friend recently was musing that as she is recovering from surgery, she’s decided that instead of convalescing on her couch for six to eight weeks, she’s going to take the time to learn a language. Should it be Mandarin? Irish? Latin?
I tried to convince her to do something practical, like Spanish.
She ignored me.
And then something weird happened.
She convinced ME to learn Irish with her! Irish! Of all the languages that probably won’t come in handy for me, it’s Irish. It’s also incredibly hard to master because the sounds and structure are just so different than English and the Romance languages.
What to Learn Next
Here are a few ideas if you’re in the market for some good, old fashioned knowledge.
- Learn a language.
- Learn to dance. Zumba or river dancing, anyone? What about ballroom dancing to keep your mind sharp?
- Learn a craft. Quilting, crocheting, sewing, the list goes on for about a million pages.
- Learn calligraphy. (This book is where I would start!)
- Learn to make your own spice blends. (I’m talking to you, culinary goddesses.)
- Learn more Bible verses. There is more knowledge and wisdom packed in those pages than textbooks. This one takes time and reflection and prayer. But it’s worth the effort, if you ask me.
- Learn from history. Pick up a biography and learn about famous people in history. If you need a list, just check out my list of biographies of women who changed the world. It’s a good place to start.
- Learn about yourself. Try a 23 and Me test to learn about your ancestry and general health and wellness!
- Learn about poetry appreciation.
- Learn how to make a sourdough starter.
- Learn how to choose a glass of wine from a wine list (and how to pronounce it!).
- Learn how to grow heirloom tomatoes (this was a big FAIL for me, but I did learn a lot through the process).
The possibilities are endless here, Fierce friends. The point is to go for it and enrich your life through knowledge. What will you learn next?
