Whether, it’s through a book, video, online or even if it’s just you actually going out and trying something new, it’s still a learning experience if you allow it to be! Not only do you get the benefit of learning something new when you do this, but it can be rewarding, fun and includes some pretty nifty benefits! Pop a squat and let’s look at five great benefits you get from constantly learning new things!
1. Increased Self Esteem!
One awesome benefit of constantly learning is an increase in your self esteem. How do you think someone who learned to play the guitar feels after performing for his friends and family. Or how do you think someone feels being able to tell others they can speak a second language? What about someone who is showing off their new photography skills by starting an amazing blog?My guess is they are filled with pride and their self esteem increases. At least that’s how I’ve always felt when I learned something new and was able to show it off at some point!Not only does your self esteem raise from the pride you have in showing off your skills, but it also raises simply because you realize you are now a little bit smarter than you were before. You are more. You have more substance to yourself. A new skill. However you want to describe it, it still raises that self esteem up a touch!Moving on!
2. It’s Fun!
Unfortunately, because our school systems believe so much in creating students that are able to pass tests, we sometimes forget that when we learn something it can actually be fun! In fact, think about some of the passions you have right now in your life! Where did they come from? At some point in your life you had to learn that passion? Right?!?Of course! If you really think about it I’ll even be willing to bet that you had a lot of fun while you were learning your passion!The great thing about continuing to learn new things, even once you complete schooling, is that for the rest of your life you get to decide what you want to learn and when! There are no tests! No passing or failing grades. Just you and anything that peaks your interest! For example, that’s me in the picture to the right at a local Paint Nite event. I’m not an artist nor can I paint, but it was a lot of fun trying something new with friends!
3. You’ll Gain More Time!
Okay, so first let me say that this one is based entirely on my own opinions which I have gained by being a life-long learner. I know it sounds kinda crazy at first, but let me explain what I mean by the above statement.You see when you decide to actually learn something that you’re interested in you’ll find a way to fit it in to your schedule. When you start making room in your schedule to learn something new, you start becoming more aware of your time and realize just how important time can be. You’ll value your time more.In my particular case, I noticed the amount of time I spent watching TV went down tremendously. The amount of nights I’d go out for a drink with friends went down a bit. The amount of overtime I’d put in at work went down a big to allow for there still to be time with friends too!What changes in your life may be different then mine according to your own priorities, but my point is that it makes you take a look at your time and where you’re spending it!
4. New Friendships!
Another great benefit of trying new things is that you’ll meet a lot of new people! In fact, many of my life long friends were met from my willingness to try new things.Just think about it for a minute. If you join a dance class you’re going to meet new people. A cooking class…yep there will be people too! If there are people around, and you are willing to put in an effort to talk with people, I can almost guarantee you’ll walk away at the end of that experience with at least one additional friend!
5. You May Find Your Purpose!
The last benefit, which I believe is the most important one, may not apply to all of you that are reading this! If you’ve already found your purpose in life I’m so happy for you! If you haven’t found your purpose yet, then read on hoe!If you haven’t found what drives you yet, what your purpose is for walking on this earth. Your passion above all other passions then constantly learning new things will only help you increase your chances of finding that purpose and passion!Do you truly want to be stuck at a job you hate for the rest of your life? Do you truly want to live and die without finding out what it is God created you for and then chasing after that with everything in you? My assumption is your answer is no and I don’t blame you!It feels great to find your purpose in life. Now I’m not saying you should get discouraged because you haven’t found it yet, but I’m just saying each day is a day you can try something new that may end up being your purpose.You can’t rush finding it, but you can make sure you don’t waste any time finding it either!
Summary
So in closing, I just want to say that learning new things can have huge benefits in your life. I encourage you to increase your self esteem, see the true value of your time, meet new friends, find your purpose in life and most of all have fun learning something new!Peace out my niggas!