Keep Learning! Keep Sharing! Keep Growing!

Keep Learning:

"One must keep learning; because life never stops teaching!"

Have we not learnt so many new skills in recent times? For example, Internet, E-mail writing, Mobile operation, Digital payments, Zoom meetings... the list is ever expanding. Can we imagine a smooth living today without having learnt these new skills?

Alvin Toffler had said long ago: "The illiterates of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn."

Three stages of Learning: Unlearning, Active Learning, Freezing.

Unlearning: It may seem paradoxical to begin discussion on Learning with a concept named, 'Unlearning'. Yet, it is a vital point in the process of our growing. We must be ready to shed away our past assumptions, preconceived notions, past practices that were successful at one time, habit of resistance to any new idea, negativity and rigidity and unwillingness to change. Confucious had mentioned 'an open and empty mind' as his most important teaching to his disciples.

I often begin my training sessions with a slide that says, "The biggest disease today is M.B.A.". Here, the full form of M.B.A. is not the usual one, but as "Mujhe Bahut Aata Hai" and "Main Bada Aadmi Hoon." in Hindi language; meaning, "I know a lot already!" and "I am a big person now!" respectively. Both these sentences reflect a high ego, inflexibility, rigidity and unwillingness to learn or experiment.

Even, the great Steve Jobs, while addressing the students at the graduation ceremony of an elite Management University, had given the ultimate 'mantra' for success in life as, "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!" He advised the students to develop hunger for more knowledge and never consider themselves as 'know-all' persons who do not need to learn anything new, as they had passed out from an elite University.

Active Learning: Active efforts are needed to keep abreast with the latest technologies and changes happening at a very fast pace in all aspects of life. Learning can be assimilated through one or more of following techniques:

• Reading books/journals/reports/newspaper articles
• Online learning
• Watching informative/inspiring videos
• Attending training courses
• Observing others' performance
• Experience sharing
• Asking questions

Freezing: It refers to implementing the newly learned behaviour, knowledge or skill and freezing it into your habits, attitude, working and lifestyle. This can be achieved through making own notes and regular referring to them; and practicing the new learning at workplace or at home. One of the ways to assimilate this new learning is to keep sharing with others.

Keep Sharing:

When we share anything with other person, two persons learn: one, the receiver of information and second, the one who is sharing. By sharing, we also keep on remembering as well as adding upon what we already knew. An attitude of sharing brings you closer to knowledgable people who reciprocate with sharing what they know. in the process, we also get enriched.

Sharing is a reflection of following:

• Your level of knowledge on the topic
• Your communication skills
• Absence of any ego or insecurity
• Attitude of collaboration in place of competition

I have been greatly influenced by a quote from motivational speaker, Les Brown: "Which is the richest place on Earth? The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.”

This quote prompted me to collect all my notes on Self Exploration and convert them into my first book, "Discover Your S.E.L.F. - A Guide to Grow as an Empowered Person!" The book was published in 2020 by LAP Publishing, Latvia and later translated into eight European languages - French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Polish and Dutch. A collage of the cover pages of all editions is reproduced here.

The motto behind writing this book has been only 'Sharing whatever I have learnt' to wider masses; and not to take it with me when I depart from this planet. Later, the second version of the book has been published in India with the title, "Who Am I? - A Guide to Discover Your True S.E.L.F."

https://www.amazon.in/Who-Am-Discover-S-L-F/dp/B0BK531Z24/

Keep Growing:

It is said, "Survival is essential; Growth is optional!"

Growth means a state of constant and consistent improvement and enrichment. It is multi-dimensional and not limited to one's career or financial status only. It is reflected in the sense of fulfilment.

Maslow gave a theory that rated 'Self Actualization' as the highest stage of one's motivation. It means, "Whatever a man can be, he should be!" This should be our ultimate goal of growth - a state that results in high Self Esteem - a high worth of self in one's own eyes!

Dr. Deepak Chopra, the famous author, has quoted, "You do not GROW old. When you stop growing, you BECOME old!"

Hence, I am proud to be associated with organizations like IndiaMexico , THE CIRCLE OF LEGENDS #IndiaMexico where the primary motto is "Learn, Share, Grow!" -a movement led by visionary Darshan Patel Sir!