First Blog Post: Lifelong Learning

I believe it is critical for lifelong learning.  We learn both personal and professional lessons, it helps us to stay current in our professional industry, instills values, motivates us, builds self-confidence, provides the opportunity to share knowledge, elevates competitive advantages, empowers the drive to enhance knowledge and skills, builds leadership, and provides access to prosper beyond your imagination.

I began to gravitate to lifelong learning from a young age, which has now become a passion, and has led me to go in the field of Training and Development – for my own life along with helping to make a difference in others’ lives.  I have taken this opportunity to participate both as a professional in the field as well as a volunteer for children, in the community, and people with disabilities.  As I faced each obstacle in my own life, I would persevere and then use that opportunity to develop myself, testify, and pass on in any way I can motivate others to embrace their full potential.

Most people associate learning with formal education at school, college, university, etc.  Majority of us are told from an early age that we should get a good education.  Yes, it is true that developing our qualifications are important.  Education would help us to find jobs, build our career, and maximize our potential; however, that should not be the “end all” and “be all”.

Lifelong learning can enhance our understanding of the world around us, provide us with more and better opportunities, and improve our quality of life.  Learning for the sake of learning can in itself be a rewarding experience. Learning for its own sake has its advantages by – making us less risk averse and more adaptable to change when it happens, help us achieve a more satisfying personal life, challenge our ideas, and can also be fun (Skills You Need, n.d.).

We should never take lifelong learning for granted.  We must take every opportunity to learn and then apply it – both personally and professionally.  Many people do not have this luxury whether it is money, access, health challenges, and/or legal rights in certain parts of the world.  It is wonderful to see how people with different abilities and/or lack thereof (due to medical reasons) never let it stop them for reaching their dreams.

There are many benefits such as model positive behavior for children, to stay healthy, learn new practical skills, keep your brain and mind sharp, improve self-confidence, fight mental challenges, and gain new knowledge (Colorado State University Online, 2010 & Powers, 2015).  There are also economic, social, cognitive, spiritual, and intellectual benefits (Cobb, 2012).

Striving to continually better yourself should be a goal in itself, without a definite endpoint. Remember that this is not something you have to do; but, something you are enthusiastic about (Martin, 2015).

Develop a passion for learning.  If you do, you will never cease to grow. – Anthony J. D’Angelo

My motto is: “The only limitations we have in lifelong learning are the ones that we consciously set!”

Cobb, J. (2012, October 03). 5 key benefits of lifelong learning.  Mission to Learning: Know Better. Live Better. Retrieved from http://www.missiontolearn.com/benefits-of-lifelong-learning/

Colorado State University Online. (2010, April 26). Top 8 Reasons to Keep Learning [Web log post]. ValueEd: Education + your life. Retrieved from http://blog.online.colostate.edu/blog/value-of-education/top-8-reasons-to-keep-learning-david-letterman-style/

Powers, K. (2015, April 09). 8 benefits of lifelong learning [Web log post]. ed4online: Evolution through learning. Retrieved from https://ed4online.com/blog/8-benefits-lifelong-learning

Martin, N. (2015, May 29).  Grow as you go – the importance of lifelong learning [Web log post]. Pick the Brain: Grow Yourself. Retrieved from http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/10-reasons-to-keep-learning-once-youre-done-with-school/

Skills You Need. (n.d.). Lifelong learning. Retrieved from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/lifelong-learning.html