Learn How to Learn!

As we go through life we learn a heck of a lot about a heck of a lot. Our parents teach us many things and the schools we attend teach us many things. Our friends, workmates, partners, children and many others along the way teach us many things. Yet throughout all this, where did we learn how to learn? Did anyone actually teach us "how" to learn?

Generally no! No-one actually taught us how to learn. We somehow pick this up along the way. Throughout my growing up years I recall non of these people teaching me the art of "how" to learn. Infact learning was one of those things I learned to hate. All it did was remind me of those school days where I hated to be. The teachers I lothed. Oh and the many unpleasant things that happened at school along the way.

So learning was not very high on my "cool lets do it" list. When it came to a point where I had to learn some new thing it was more a case of "yea great, another chance to find out how dumb I am". Of course this did nothing to actually help me "learn" anything. When it came to times where I actually "did" want to learn something, this was a huge hurdle to over come. So I had to change my entire view on learning. Lets face it, the school I went to was at the time I was there a pretty rough school. Myself and many of my friends were more concerned with "surviving school, not learning anything. And what I was learning I remember thinking "why the hell do I need to know this stuff?". I have no interest in what they do in some other country I never heard of, or the chemical breakdown of some compound I never heard of or even wanted to hear about.

You see they did not teach any subjects at school that I wanted to know about. There was nothing about life, the universe, beliefs, why am I who I am. I wanted to know why I thought the way I did, why do I feel like I do, why do some of the other kids do what they do, why is he so tough, and why was I feeling so lost and weak? Hmmm I don't recall any of that in class 4, in 2nd period with any of my teachers.

The point there is that nothing is interesting unless IM interested ! Ok so I was the odd kid out, I was in the few who wanted to know more about deep life. So as I say, untill they came up with subject matter I was interested in then I simply was not interested.

Over the years I also found that what I wanted to know about was somewhat a forbidden topic. Hmmmm. I found it very difficult to find those who would teach me what I wanted to know about. I had deeper life questions. Oh but now I discovered something else ! NOW I wanted to learn :) They more I was told to stay way from all that then the more I wanted to know about.

SO. Part of this ability to actually learn was to know what I wanted to learn about. hmmm interesting I thought. I saw some going off to university to learn there trade or whatever it was they to learn. And for many it was teir choice to go. This made me think also. Hmmm so they actually wanted to. No one forced them to go. Yea now all I have to do as excited as I was to learn what I wanted to was find where to learn it.

The ability to learn is in all of us, yet the way and the what to learn is not. At a basic level we learn out of a need to learn, for saftey or protection. At school we learned to fight to protect ourselves or to talk my way out of some situation. I had to.

The actual interest in what is being learned plays a huge role. So I sat down and thought long and hard about what it was I wanted to learn about. Wow. what a long list. Now my frustrating next few years trying to find those who would teach me what I wanted to know.

The actual DRIVE to learn was beginning. The NEED for me to know was part of the art of learning !

Finding those with the wisdom I searched for was an inspiration. The actual desire to learn what they knew was the one thing I found that lifted my ability to actually learn what I was being taught. My brain was being ignited and inspired by information I felt I needed.

NOW I was taking on new information and learning new things at a great rate. Now there is another part here that is very important. !!!!!!!!

At school, (well, the school I went to atleast) the teachers themselves were a big part of the problem. They were not .....Inspireing teachers. They did not make what they were teaching interesting or facinating as I saw no "Passion". So why would I be passionate about it either? They were boring, it was boring, and so I was bored. I found that the teachers I was going to, actaually had a passion for what they were teaching.

So here are some good things to understand about how to learn.

A) Find out what you want to learn. Be specific about it. Define it. Be very very clear about WHAT it is.
B) Develop in your self a passion for what it is and go find it.
C) Find teachers who have a passion for what they teach.

It is your passion that will drive to to keep going till you find the right way, the right people, the right method and the right information. If you find youraself fading, then maybe what you are seeking is not really what you are searching for. Search you. Search your soul. What is it you really want to know.

What is you passion? What is it that will drive you, get you up in the morning, make you feel you have achieved today? Find this passion and live it. THIS in itsself will catapult your learning ability to new heights.

There is much more to learning how to learn, :) But it would make this post far to long :) I will be adding many more topics as I go here so please enjoy.