Learn Something New Every Day
There is that old adage, You learn something new everyday. Sometimes, this is said in jest, though I earnestly believe that we can take this to a new level of meaning. Right now, we have an opportunity to rethink how we use our time, and our minds, for the greater good. Just a year ago, I was lamenting that I no longer had time to keep up with my French lessons due to the demands of work and a busy social calendar. I would say to myself, if there were one more hour in each day, I could dedicate it to studying and practicing.
The truth about that is, I had the time I just chose to use it differently. I certainly did not see that way at the time, though. Flash forward to today, when I can no longer freely run around town, and I’m rethinking my relationship to time and to learning. Not only have I dusted off those old French textbooks, I’ve been finding people to connect with over video to practice my skills.
But there’s a whole world of opportunity out there for us, right at our fingertips. I recently learned that Yale University is opening up its famed Science of Well-Being course online, free of charge. And you know what, I signed up for that too. Because why not? Other friends of mine have been taking ballet lessons or attending yoga over Zoom, and another has picked up cooking lessons online.
While most of us can agree that there’s nothing like being in person to fully experience something, whether it’s yoga practice, hiking, or going to the classroom for a foreign language course, we have the opportunity to change how we view this. I consider myself to be old-fashioned in many ways, but even I got on the digital train and have really loved feeling like a student again. Learning stimulates our brains in important ways, and some of themes important benefits of education, according to researches, are longer lifespans, healthier lifestyles, and improved mood. Who wouldn’t want that? Go ahead and find your path to learning. That’s all for now, as I have some homework to do. Bon chance!
Places to start:
Yale University’s The Science of Wellbeing Course
Harvard University’s Online Learning Catalog
Ballet Classes
