SELF-EDUCATION: THE BEST WAY TO LIVE LIFE (1)

SELF-EDUCATION: THE BEST WAY TO LIVE LIFE (1)

  December 24, 2018    InspireForte Solutions

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Many of people’s frustrations and dissatisfaction's in life are borne out of the fact that they lack the knowledge needed to help them be the ideal person they want to become. They love and prefer to enjoy the luxury that comes with being in their comfort zone. The truth is that you shouldn’t blame them because comfort zone is a really nice place, but the ugly part of it is that nothing grows there. You need to understand that there’s a stark difference between motion and progress. You can actually be thinking that you are pacing through life only to later find out that you are still at the same spot. But self-education can help you develop your capacities so as to be able to push the frontiers of opportunities for the betterment of your life and society. But the problem is that many people keep waiting for the perfect time to acquire knowledge that can help them maximize their potentials and reach the zenith of their lives. They certainly make no provision to have food for their souls.

NO FOOD FOR OUR SOULS?

Ernest Campbell, a former faculty member of the Union Theological Seminary in New York, told the story of a woman who bought a parrot at a local pet store because she was lonely. She took the bird home, but after a couple of days, she returned it to the store to complain. “That parrot hasn’t said a word yet, does it have a mirror?” the pet store owner asked. “Parrots like to be able to look at themselves in the mirror.” So the lady bought a mirror and returned home. The next day, she was back at the store because the bird still hadn’t made a peep. “What about a ladder?”, the store owner asked. “Parrots enjoy walking up and down a ladder.” So she bought a ladder and returned home. She was back at the store the next day. Still the parrot hadn’t said a thing. “Does the parrot have a swing?” the store owner asked. “Birds enjoy relaxing on a swing.” She bought a swing and went home again. The next day she returned to the store to tell the pet store owner that the bird had died. “I’m terribly sorry to hear that,” said the pet store owner. “Did the bird ever say anything before it died?” “Yes,” answered the lady. “It said, ‘Don’t they sell any food down there?”

The lesson of the story, Campbell said, was that we buy mirrors by which to primp, ladders by which we try to climb higher, and swings upon which we seek pleasure, but we neglect food for our souls.

Everyone has the potential to become who they desire to be. Inventor, Thomas Edison once said, “If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves.” So often we find that most people are a complete opposite picture of who they are capable of becoming because they don’t have the required knowledge to become the best version of themselves. They are limited because they feel there’s not much they can do to better their lives. But such limitation can only cause them a lifetime of pain and regret. Industrialist, Charles Schwab rightly points out that, “When a man has put a limit on what he will do, he has put a limit on what he can do.” More so, many people also feel that obtaining a certification via formal education can make them who they desire to become, but that’s a wrong perception. I call this “trapped thinking” – it limits and keeps you grounded to a spot. Like the parrot, there will still be a craving to have more, yet not within your reach. It’s just like giving a drop of water to someone who is still dead thirsty. Acquiring a degree in any field of study is just a step towards being the ideal you, but travelling on the path of self-education will take you to the next level. There is always a tendency for people to think they have arrived once they finish with school, but that shouldn’t be their stopping point. Management Guru, Philip B. Crosby writes in his book: Quality is Free: 

“There is a theory of human behavior that says people subconsciously retard their own intellectual growth. They come to rely on clichés and habits. Once they reach the age of their own personal comfort with the world, they stop learning and their mind runs on idle for the rest of their days. They may progress organizationally, they may be ambitious and eager, and may even work night and day. But they learn no more.” 

The truth is that when this happens, people end up in rut and never climb out. They become irrelevant because they can’t keep up with the pace of the information age. They eventually miss out on the best life has to offer .The key to unlocking your potentials and positioning yourself for a better life is by devoting to self-education.

Share your thoughts and send your questions to our contact us link. Follow through on my subsequent articles as I will be sharing powerful insights on the true meaning of self-education, its importance and ways you can get yourself to gain mastery in it. Cheers!