Lifelong Learning - A Journey with No Destination

All through my academic career I got passing grades, but I was never interested in learning.

Chalk it up to being young, naïve, and not understanding what these abstract subjects had to do with "real life". How am I going to apply ancient history or algebra once I am in the outside world?

Turns out the teachings of the ancients are just as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago, and algebra has many real-world applications. Who knew? 

I did have one class in high school that had “real life” applications-typing (yes, that was an actual class). I wish I had paid more attention there, as it has taken quite a while to type all this. Between all the backspacing and being accidentally stuck on CAPS LOCK, well you get the idea.

Fast forward a few (ahem) years and I find myself interested in learning about anything and everything. I am fascinated and curious about plants, animals, astronomy, natural history, and the complex workings of terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems. I could watch nature shows or documentaries about space or ancient Egypt all day!

I have applied this thirst for knowledge in my professional life as well, always striving to learn and stay up to date. This is especially true now, as I am making a career transition for the first time in my life. After a long and successful career in the financial markets, I am shifting my focus to communications.

To succeed in this endeavor, I must open my mind to new concepts and ways of doing things that are different than what I am used to. Open-mindedness and willingness to change are the foundations upon which I am building my new career. I believe those two traits are also key to lifelong learning.

The idea that learning is a “journey with no destination” emphasizes the importance of embracing curiosity, staying open-minded, and committing to ongoing self-improvement. Most importantly, I must remain teachable. If I close my mind and revert to my old thinking I risk falling behind, and I cannot afford to do that, not now or ever.