Monday Mindset
The gift of lifelong learning
It’s a new week and that means a new intention Dropping In to your inbox.
We are on week two of our exploration into Curiosity as a building block of connection.
This week’s focus is:
Lifelong Learning
The hallmark of curiosity is a thirst for knowledge that has no obvious utility. Being a lifelong learner is taking joy in exploration regardless of whether the discovery has immediate relevance. The goal is to understand for the sake of understanding.
~Adam Grant
Learning isn’t something only children do. Their limited time on earth means they spend most of their energy on discovering and understanding new things. But learning doesn’t stop when we graduate from school and enter the “real world.”
As we get older, we get to choose the paths of learning we take. We don’t have to wait for a syllabus to get out there and explore the things that interest, excite, or challenge us.
When we take on the posture of learners, we look for ways to deepen our understanding rather than stay stagnant in our knowledge. There is so much out there that we don’t know, and this is where we have to begin. We don’t know everything, but we aren’t meant to—it’s impossible. We can, however, engage our minds, grow our skills, and deepen our understanding in specific ways. And we get to choose these things!
Learning isn’t just for the classroom or for the workplace. It’s not only good for sharpening our minds and skills, but also for strengthening our relationships.
To be a learner, we must be willing to observe, listen, and practice in order to deepen our understanding. This is curiosity in action.
How does this translate to inner connection? There may be parts of us that have been silenced over the years. Unless we make an effort to get in touch with the childlike parts of us, we may resist the tug toward playful things that we were once interested in. The truth is those parts of us can bring us joy today.
Returning to the childlike approach of learning through play can bring fresh energy to increasing our understanding.
What did young you want to learn that you never had the time, resources, or opportunity to? Maybe there’s a desire that you’ve had that you could actually take time to learn in this season of your life. For some, that may be a musical instrument. For others, it might be learning to paint. For another, it might be learning how to change the oil in your car.
The more we honor both the beauty and complexity of our own souls, the more we continue to build self-trust through curiosity. Curiosity can help us rediscover old points of interest, and also lead us to new ones. It’s never too late to learn something new, and we don’t have to pick one thing for the rest of our lives, either. This is the process of exploration.
{I took a beginner’s tap dancing class a couple years ago, fulfilling a youthful wish. And after I was done with the class, I was happy to move on to something else.}
Let your curiosity draw you to the things you actually want to learn, and you will find yourself refreshed as you broaden your understanding.
What were you drawn to when you were younger? (If you’re having trouble, just think about the things you spent your free time engaging in, reading up on, or what you wished you could have done.)
How can you be curious about those things again?
Piggybacking off of the mindful question, I want you to take it a step further.
Pick one of the things that came up (an interest, an activity, a subject) and do something this week to engage with it.
This could be as simple as reading up on it, finding a class where you can learn or participate, or just doing it (did you love walks in nature when you were younger, go on one and pay attention to what is around you).
Of all the things I hope for you (for us!) this week, it is that your curiosity will lead you to joy, and perhaps even a sense of play. Learning doesn’t have to be boring—in fact, it can bring fresh insight and energy to the rest of your life.
I would love to hear about what you (re)discover through this practice. If you want to share, reply to this email, comment on this post, or dm me through the app.
Until next week (or sooner, if you’re a paid subscriber…which you can always upgrade to if you want a bit more support and connection points).
One more thing—if you’ve enjoyed these posts at all, please consider sharing them with others you think would like them too.
Thanks, as always, and with you in the journey of building stronger inner connection so that we can thrive and not just survive this thing called life.