Tag: self-education

Soul on Paper

I’ve always looked at reading a book like a conversation between author and reader. Through reading, you have the golden opportunity of communicating with people that are separated from you by time and space.

However, I didn’t realize the truth of this statement in my actions. As a young teenager, I read a lot of classic fiction. I would speed-read the chapters, sigh at the end, and leave unchanged.

Thinking back, I wonder: was it the books I was reading that didn’t change me, or was it my attitude toward the reading process? Even fiction books have deep underlying philosophical issues they address. Was I doing justice to the books I read by simply reading them and putting them away? Continue reading Soul on Paper

From Mennonite Kid to Self-Educator

I have always enjoyed learning. Many kids hated school; I loved every minute. However, I never went to a traditional public school. The first six years of my life were spent in a small private school in association with the Mennonite church my father was a pastor of. Continue reading From Mennonite Kid to Self-Educator

Curiosity: an Education in Itself

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” -Albert Einstein

One of the greatest minds of all time gives the credit for his genius to being passionately curious. Learning, at its core, consists of being curious about something and building new pathways due to this curiosity.

Then how did humanity get off track? I can’t count how many times I have heard parents shut down their inquisitive 6 year olds by saying, “You ask too many questions.” (Normally, this answer is also a cover for, “I don’t know the answer to your question but I don’t want to admit it.”) Continue reading Curiosity: an Education in Itself

Networking: my Learning Trend

It’s interesting to watch the trends of information that flow through my life. Sometimes it’s intentional: I’m learning a lot about Mark Twain because of working on a research project with my sister. Other times, the trends are entirely unintentional: all of a sudden a flood of knowledge on a certain subject comes from numerous sources.

I can’t explain the trends. Maybe it’s simply that when my interest is piqued, I start to notice new information that I wouldn’t have seen before. Maybe, subconsciously, I am searching out for the certain knowledge that attracts me. Maybe it’s just God’s divine hand guiding my learning process. Regardless of the cause, I love it. It’s exhilarating to take a step back and watch the process of learning become real in my life.

One of these trends has been the concept of tribe. When I read about tribe in the book The Last Safe Investment, I immediately connected with the idea. Tribe refers to the close group of individuals with whom you share much in common. Tribe is not just a friend group: it is a close circle of people who are committed to growing together.

This started the trend of networking information in my head. It awakened within me the passion to make each connection that I make as strong as possible. Instead of simply thinking of a friend as a friend, I choose to actively grow them and help them succeed. Being intentional with connections makes for strong, healthy friendships and partnerships.

Soon after reading the book I listened to a networking talk by Evan Le at a Praxis conference. Over the next several months, random people reached out to me because of things I wrote or people we both knew, and I realized anew how important it was to strengthen each connection, both business and personal.

This isn’t hard to do. I naturally relate to people, and I have always sought to bring out the best in everyone I am with. However, the difference lies in intentionality. I can’t just wait for people to reach out to me and expect to build a strong network. I have to actively seek to build relationships.

It’s this trend that has led me to pursue direct connection with everyone who chooses to join my podcast mailing list. And I am enjoying it to the full.

What learning trends have you seen in your life? Drop a comment or reach out to me!

Projects: Concrete Learning

I’ve been realizing anew the importance of learning through projects. There’s something about creating a physical representation of a new concept that concretes the information in your brain.

I’m not sure when humanity decided that information in the abstract is the most important part of survival. Slowly we are falling away from the practical application of knowledge; quickly we are approaching the day when no one knows how to apply what they have learned.

Knowledge is obsolete without wisdom to apply it. What better way to put information to use than a hands-on application? Continue reading Projects: Concrete Learning

Storytelling: the Art of Conversation

What makes Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People such a long-lasting, unforgettable work?Sure, it’s great writing and the ideas set forth are monumental. But if you narrow it down to a single concept, the success of the book has largely to do with Carnegie’s masterful use of stories. Every point he makes comes tied to an anecdote of someone who tried the idea and succeeded. Or he uses a historical figure we all know and love as an example of a concept working. The ideas draw you in with an unimaginable force: would that force be present in the book if Carnegie had simply laid out the facts without the use of stories? I highly doubt it. Continue reading Storytelling: the Art of Conversation

Learning By Teaching: The Cycle of Education

Being raised in a large family, I am accustomed to the constant fuel of creativity, the continual exchange of new ideas. There is always a new project to compete in. The next breakthrough research is always just around the corner. The learning process never stops.

There is a key concept that naturally comes to life in a family of vast age differences: the best way to ingrain any piece of knowledge into your head is to pass on that information to another individual.

For hundreds of years, this was an expected cycle of learning. One learnt the information, reviewed it, formed his opinion of it, debated it, and taught another what he knew. (Socratic dialogue, anybody?)

It has only been in recent years that we have lost the concept of the cycle of learning. Teaching is reserved only for those who are so-called “experts” in a field. Everyone else keeps quiet and lets the experts do their thing, successfully cutting off the life of education by smothering conversation.

How would humanity change if each individual recognized the benefits of using the knowledge he has, no matter how small, to impact other people?

What if you sat down and wrote a short essay on every new concept you gained? Or if you found one person every day to question about an idea you have about the world? What if the cycle of learning could be refueled by those who are passionate about true education?

I challenge you: Teach someone something today. Build relationships. Pass on information. Create dialogue and healthy conversation. Encourage questions. Explore. Create. And watch the world begin to flourish around you. Life can only be complete when education flows through its intended cycle.