Learning for Learnings Sake

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a librarian when I grew up.

I’ve always loved the library. So many things to learn about. So many places to explore in all those books. I don’t go the the library as much anymore, but am still a voracious reader. Mostly non-fiction. I like to learn. No, it’s more than that. 

Aside from reading books, I read blogs, I’m on many email lists, I listen to podcasts, I’m in many group coaching programs and I take courses online. I used to consider my desire to constantly be taking courses and constantly buying books a sign of being flakey. I mean most courses online sell themselves as “take this course and solve problem ABC forever!” So it’s easy to see why I might consider myself a failure if I took said course and then took another, and another and another. But I get it now. I don’t take these courses or read these books to learn or become proficient in just one thing. I don’t see them as a means to an end. I have a very real need to constantly learn and grow. It’s part of who I am. It helps me feel alive. I’m reminded of that story of a class made up of different animals. A fish, a monkey, a bird, and a land animal of some sort are the students and the teacher says that the lesson and what everyone will be graded on is how well they can climb up a tree. Great for the monkey, not so great for the other animals, right? Our society says we have a way to live our lives. We should learn when we are young, (and we don’t even have a say in what we are to learn until we are 18 or so.) Then we should learn a bit more in college, racking up a huge debt to pay of for years to come. And then get a job and stop learning. I mean sure, keep learning about your one field. It’s okay to grow and expand as long as it’s of benefit to your employers, but other than that your really supposed to just be happy going to work and not exploring anything else. Some people are okay with that. I’m not one of them. I need to learn, I need to go deep, I need to expand, like all... the...time. I’m done being ashamed of it and wearing it as a sign that I can’t find one thing to excel in and stick with it. Thinking that I’m a failure at life. 

I’m turning it around. I’m wearing it as a badge of honor that I am truly, living life the way I am meant to. That I am living in connection with my soul and for me, there is no greater accomplishment.