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I recently had the joy of visiting with a 9-year-old boy, Rolando. He loves to talk. To say that he is engaging is an understatement.
He was excited about everything he was learning in school and simply wanted to tell me all about it. He told me the names of his teachers and what subjects they taught him; he explained to me that cursive writing is difficult for him (I was thrilled that he was being taught cursive!), but he always tries his best and he never, ever gives up. He gave me the definition and examples for “synonym” and “antonym,” recounted stories from Transformers, told me about his favorite foods and what he didn’t like, and how he loved being with his best friend and the games they played together. Oh, and he doesn’t like to sleep too much.
It is notable that Rolando and I visited for about 20 minutes…yes, we covered lots of territory.
As he departed I felt so many things…I could fill in the blank with any number of words and phrases. When was the last time I felt so inspired by a 9-year-old?! Rolando gave me pause. He was delightful, innocent. I wanted to protect him at the same time I wanted to push him out the door to go and fly. I wanted to capture his energy – his enthusiasm for life – specifically his enthusiasm for LEARNING.
Is a love of learning something that only some possess and others don’t?
I ask you to consider that “loving learning” is not relegated to a select few. Adopting this mindset is one antidote to the chronic overwhelm common for so many today.
An obvious way of learning is through reading. You’ve probably seen articles referencing the reading practices of renowned business and technology leaders. Ironically, reading is one of the four activities commonly dropped when people experience a “too full” schedule.
However, when people begin making time for reading, and I’ve seen this over and over in the lives of my clients, they relax and at the same time they have a renewed energy. Reading material of your choosing is all about making time for yourself which is not only an antidote to our technology overwhelm, but an intentional act of self-care.
Could embracing a love of learning play a role in mitigating your overwhelm or simply being a part of you taking care of you?
As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Gigi
