Friday, March 14, 2014

Learning is for Life

The other day, someone made a comment that resonated within me. The exact words are gone now but the gist was 'Don't say you can't do something - the way to learn how to do it is to go ahead and do it.' This seemed revelatory to me but when I mentioned it to other people, they ALL confessed that is how they approached everything. It seems that I have been lacking in either self esteem or the courage to open myself to failure for a long time.

I joined the new branch of University of the Third Age two years ago, hoping to be able to hop on board for all sorts of learning experience's served up on a plate. Instead, here I am administering a website with an alien format, producing a newsletter, taking minutes and stacking chairs. I am learning, not just new computer skills but patience with myself and others and growing an appreciation of the different skills and qualities we have to offer each other and the amazing results that happen when we work together.

Squishing last years three hour hands on presentation into an hours talk for our local Living Smart course was a challenge that provoked me into inventing new ideas,  Googling madly for the latest research and organising a new box of tricks to show people, I learnt lots of new things, they did too and sustainability awareness spreads a little further.

Teaching provokes me to learn and the joy of discovering something new makes it a joy, not a job. It's got to be time to advertise some workshops...especially some I've never done before!

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