Although you might not think so right now, you are in fact a lifelong learner. People are designed to learn. Humans by nature have a love of learning, and they’re adept at it, which is what makes us so significantly different from other species. There is no closure in your learning.

Perhaps you used to enjoy learning but lost interest because of the continual memorizing and times table chanting you had to do in school. You may have never enjoyed studying because you identify it with the tedium and misery that conventional education so frequently fosters.

Passing a test is not, however, the goal of real learning. It goes beyond simple knowledge recall and aimless memorizing. It’s about developing fresh perspectives on the world and gaining the knowledge and abilities needed to realize your goals, which will make you the finest possible version of yourself.

The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change. ~ Carl Rogers

How to Define Love of Learning

People who have the character quality “love of learning” are driven to learn new things and advance their present knowledge. Even though kids occasionally become irritated when the content is difficult, they feel happy when they are learning new things.

There are different levels of this strength. I can’t imagine somebody who does not enjoy learning, whether it is about history, fashion, bicycle maintenance, sports trivia, etc. In fact, some experts hypothesize that a universal lack of this capability may be a sign of disease.

Although a passion for learning seems to be shared by all people, there may be cultural differences in how this trait manifests itself and the environments that encourage it. The Chinese, for instance, has a concept that may be roughly translated as “heart and mind for desiring to study”. While students in Western cultures might feel ashamed or guilty for not succeeding, the Chinese educational approach contends that shame or guilt comes from a lack of desire to study.

According to research, those who have a love of learning as a developed strength are more likely to:

• Possessing positive attitudes toward learning new things;
• being able to self-regulate their efforts to persevere in the face of difficulty and frustration;
• feeling autonomous;
• feeling challenged;
• believe that anything is possible;
• being resourceful;
• and sensing the support of others in their learning efforts.

Studying without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing it takes in. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

Advantages of a Love of Learning

Students who enjoy learning are more likely to take part in their studies and receive encouraging remarks from parents and professors. However, the advantages of this strength continue well beyond graduation, into your professional years, and retirement. Indeed, a love for learning may be especially beneficial as you age since it may stop cognitive deterioration.

Parents and educators are aware of how difficult it may be to ignite a previously dormant love for learning. According to research, people are more inclined to take responsibility for their education when the following circumstances exist:

• They have options to make the activity more fascinating,
• they are given a compelling, meaningful purpose to do it,
• and social networks exist to promote learning so that people may connect through an interest-based project or topic.

Education is not the filling of a pot but the lighting of a fire. ~  W. B. Yeats

How To Re-ignite Your Love Of Learning

It might be frustrating to learn. If you don’t grasp a new concept, you could feel bored or discouraged. Continuous learning is crucial. Even better, it may be enjoyable. Make efforts to advance your lifelong learning with no regrets. How then do you go about reprogramming your brain, discovering your passion, and rediscovering your love of learning? Here are five steps you can take to re-ignite your love of learning.

1.      Remove Presumptions About Yourself.

You, I, and everyone else have gained a great deal of knowledge and information that is completely false, useless, and inhibits your capacity for genuine learning. Imagine for a moment that it is your first day of school. Look back on that day, they gave you a pill that will ensure that for the next 12 years of your life, you will only obey orders, learn what they teach in the curriculum, and never question it. They will also teach you in ways that don’t suit your learning preferences. Will you take that medication?

Looking back, the person who showed up for the class on the first day has changed. Since you are an adult, you can unlearn false assumptions about yourself. You have the power to focus on the things you truly want to learn, the freedom to choose a subject and a learning style that suits you, the right to ask questions, and the ability to direct your attention in that direction. You’re taking the first step in rekindling that flame by realizing that the constraints of childhood caused you to abandon your essentially human love of learning.

Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence. ~ Abigail Adams

2.      Retrain Your Brain

If you had a bad learning experience in the past, I’d venture a bet that you have very low expectations about your capacity as a learner. Have you ever considered that measurements don’t always result in excellent learners if you think that great learning requires a long list of credentials, IQ scores, and test results? Only the capacity to memorize information is measured. Even if you signed up for a few classes and even wish to learn, are you unable to finish anything you start because you are subconsciously bound by outdated beliefs and the fear instilled in you about learning?

That you can only be a brilliant learner if you can pass tests may have permeated your life. Consider whether the restrictions you have on your views about learning are limiting your ability to aim high and achieve your goals. Spend some time learning about your brain’s learning preferences to re-educate yourself and determine your inclination and then incorporate it into your learning. Your brain is an amazing tool. Nothing compares to it in terms of multisensory capacity to invoke your love of learning again.

The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you. ~ B.B. King

3.      Let Go Of Limiting Beliefs

You have dreams for your life, but you allow the ego to fill your mind with negative thoughts that inhibit you from achieving your objectives.  The egoic mind lies to you and tells you it can’t; it’s scary, you’ll fail, or it’s impossible.  It will also be concerned about what others will say about you.  So, with all this playing through your mind, you choose the simplest option, which is to do nothing.  Become stagnant and thwart your dream. 

By imposing these limitations on yourself, you receive little criticism, and it comforts your ego.  However, you felt unhappy and dissatisfied about the choice. The shackles of these restrictive beliefs block you from reaching your boundless potential.  When you set limits, you restrict what you can achieve.  You can’t grow beyond the arbitrary standard you imposed upon yourself, even if you are fully capable. 

Change is the end result of all true learning. ~ Leo Buscaglia

4.      Open Your Mind And Find Inspiration.

They encourage the free flow of ideas through education. You will be more inclined to have an open mind if you’re exposed to fresh ideas. If you have an open mind, you will be more likely to meet new people. You will desire to learn more as you gain knowledge. Learning makes people more inquisitive. Keeping an open mind will enable you to discover even more areas you’re interested in.

Feel more fulfilled. Your life will get more multifaceted because of your learning. You’ll feel as though you’ve accomplished something, which will satisfy you.

Ignore the “what.” What made you decide to learn? Are your professional aspirations what drive you? Or do you wish to show your kids the value of education?

Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn French, paint, or play the saxophone. It’s up to you what you do. The most crucial step is to make your inspiration for taking action very apparent to yourself. Sticky notes with an explanation of your why should be attached to your instrument, books, and/or refrigerator. Write it down in a place where you might find inspiration to get things done. Everything else will fall into place if you know why you want to have a love of learning your new endeavor.

Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will. ~ Vernon Howard

5.      Stay Curious

It’s said that the cat died of curiosity. For professional and personal success, it is essential to be interested in and actively involved in learning new things about your field of endeavor, your industry, and the wider world. A perspective that is full of intrigue and curiosity makes excitement possible. Being closed off and averse to making a pivot will not help you at all in your life.

The ability to think creatively is one of the amazing advantages of embracing a passion for learning. If you’re the type of person who appreciates learning new things, you won’t be hesitant to try something completely unanticipated. In fact, you’ll actively seek chances to adopt fresh perspectives on issues. Your ability to think creatively and innovatively will improve as a result, helping you love your life.

The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity. Usually, growth comes at the expense of previous comfort or safety. ~ Josh Waitzkin

Moving Forward With The Love Of Learning

I believe everyone can transform their lives if they have the drive and willingness to remain curious about the world, ask questions, seek knowledge, ignite their brains, and remove all obstacles and impediments to learning. With effort, people can unlock their potential by building on lessons learned.

You’re quite lucky to be riding along with a highly complex machine that enjoys learning called your brain. It’s not designed to sit still for hours watching television, it can’t get bored, and it never turns off. Your brain and your capacity for feeling remain among science’s greatest mysteries. Compared to the brain you had when you were five years old, yours is stronger and more capable. The brain learns best through variation.

How are you going to use your love of learning to improve your life moving forward? It doesn’t matter if they considered you a successful student or not. The key to opening your potential which is in your hands.

Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Do you need help re-igniting your love of learning? Are you looking for support to empower yourself to move forward? Do you want a strategy to help you create an extraordinary life? If you believe you cannot proceed alone, think about seeking my coaching services by getting in touch with me, at TerriKozlowski.com, and we can put together an action plan for you to accept what is and love the life you have.

To discover how I applied my love for learning into my life, you can do so by reading my book, Raven Transcending Fear, available on Amazon or you can go to RavenTranscendingFear.com for more information.

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Article Name

Why It's Helpful In All Areas Of Life For You To Have A Love Of Learning

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When you have a love of learning, you open yourself up to creating the life you love by being willing and ready to alter your perspective.

Author

Terri Kozlowski

Publisher Name

Kozmic Soul Solutions LLC

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