When I was in high school I was not very engaged, most days I just went through the motions and some days I didn’t even do that. As a matter of fact I used to tell people that high school was the only thing that truly interrupted my education.
I soon realized what I was giving up by not being fully engaged and taking responsibility. At that point, I committed to being a lifelong learner. Being curious, questioning the status quo and absorbing like a sponge from mentors and thought leaders, I love to read just about anything I can get my hands on. Learning is a lifestyle and not to be relegated to a specific time or topic. Over the many years since high school, my commitment to being a lifelong learner has served me well.
An inactive mind, like any muscle that is neglected for too long, starts to atrophy whereas an active mind will stay young and continue to learn. The science of neuroplasticity has conclusively proven that growth and mental capacity does not stop at a certain age but will continue to expand for a lifetime if stimulated. In addition recovery from strokes and traumatic brain injury, that was never before considered to be possible, is now happening with new and very encouraging results for some patients.
Dr. Norman Doidge’s book “The Brain That Changes Itself” is a great read for anyone interested in the fascinating leaps and bounds made in the frontiers of brain science. I highly recommend it.
So in the infamous words of the great Mark Twain “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.”
Being a lifelong learner is Thinking World Class