How to Learn

Hi people, how ya doing?? 

You good? 

Great.

You know the old saying: "learning never ends" still holds true, and learning can be such a delight if you have the right mindset and mind posture. Till you draw your last breath, do not, I repeat, do not stop seeking for knowledge. Self education is your responsibility.

It's usually said to; "dig your well before you need water" or "sharpen your axe before you get to the battlefield" or "load your gun before you need to shoot"

That's how it is with gaining knowledge before you need it. Life is a battlefield, arm yourself with knowledge for the journey, so that when the time comes, you'll know exactly what to apply (as wisdom demands) It's a question in an examination that provokes remembrance of what was read before. No one studies in an exam hall. Learn before you need to apply.

The first step to learning is having a teachable heart. The right mind posture like I said before. Every leader is first a learner. If you are not teachable, how can you lead? In the real sense, you cannot know everything about something, because knowledge increases every time (Daniel 12:4) but you can know something about everything.

Know a little about a lot; learn all you can.

Thankfully, there are several approaches to learning. Find what works for you and help your life.

If you don’t like reading, try listening to audio books or watching videos. You just have to be intentional about getting knowledge and doing it consistently.

Always keep an open mind and learn from everyone. Basically everyone you meet has something to teach, you either learn what to do or what not to do. Learn, unlearn and relearn as you grow, it's a cycle. Please learn. 

For the purpose of this post, there are three categories of people you can learn from...

One, learn from those that have gone before you.

Yes, let the older ones "hold your hand"

Whether dead or alive. If dead, locate their resources and immerse yourself in them. They'd have books, biographies and memoirs that provide you with knowledge. This is so priceless. 

I love how William E. Channing puts it;

"It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds. In the best books, great men talk to us, give us their most precious thoughts, and pour their souls into ours. God be thanked for books. They are the voices of the distant and the dead, and make us heirs of the spiritual life of past ages. Books are true levelers. They give to all who will faithfully use them, the society, the spiritual presence, of the best and greatest of our race." 

And for those who are alive, you can't wait till you meet them, won't that be a waste of time? You don't even have that time to be honest. You don't have all of your life to learn all you should. Learn from other people's knowledge, experience and wisdom, even as they navigate their lives now. I did a whole post on it here.

Two, learn from your mates.

Colleagues, fellows, contemporaries, associates, whatever synonym that works for you.

These are people in your area of expertise, niche or field. People doing what you're doing at the same time as you. 

Back in school, people usually had reading groups.

It wasn't my thing though, but I had people I studied with occasionally. Those I'd meet to explain a topic I didn't quite understand or solve past questions for me. 

And the last in this category...

Your friends. Nope, I didn't forget this one...Your friends play a huge role as per influencing you. I really do wonder what you're doing in your friendships if you're not learning from your friends. Remember, iron sharpens iron...

Three, learn from your juniors.

Shall we say followers, mentees and younger ones?? Maybe. Just learn from those you've gone ahead of.

Knowledge increases every time (Daniel 12:4) and it's possible that what you learnt is outdated already. These ones are in a different generation and can let you in on the way things work with them. Refresh and update your knowledge consistently.

If you have grandparents that are tech savvy, they most likely learnt from their children or grandchildren, because, of course, they weren't so conversant with technology in their time. There's a whole lot to learn from those you have gone before.

Being the first of five children, there's a whole lot I have learnt from my siblings. Sometimes, it's by observation and other times by simply inquiring. They usually know what's up way before me. Lol

Knowledge in summary is simply learning a lot, as much as possible. But there is a greater dimension to this, which is wisdom; the correct application of knowledge. No matter how much you know, the knowledge will remain in its latent form until it is applied. Little wonder the scripture admonishes us to be doers of the word and not just hearers alone. James 1:22. 

So learn as you grow and apply what you learn.

There you go people…

Learn from those ahead of you,

Learn from those with you, and

Learn from those coming after you.

Love and Light

Nancita ✨