Take time to learn from others
Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 22, 2005
Sometimes change can be scary. Human beings are creatures of habit, there is no doubt about that. We all have our routines and our own way of doing things, which create a comfort zone of sorts. When our routine is changed it can be a scary thing. However, if we give new routines a chance we usually find they are also better.
All too often people are more concerned with getting a word in rather than listening to another’s suggestions. For some reason, we think we have all the answers and there is nothing we could possibly learn from an outside source. This belief can be better described as living in a rut.
If people shelter themselves from new ideas the odds are they will maintain the same drab routine for the rest of their lives. They will never get any worse at whatever it is they are doing, but they will certainly never get any better.
As human beings we are given the ability to reason, which also gives us an unbelievable capacity to learn new skills, methods and facts. Our brains are literally like sponges thirsting for as much knowledge as we can possibly soak in. Most people do not see things this way, but it is true.
When we are young, we think we have all the answers and our parents have no clue what they are talking about. However, years down the road the things they have said begin to make sense.
The same can be said for people as they get older. Most feel the younger generation has no clue what direction they are heading in and what they want for themselves. This is also inaccurate. People are growing up faster now than at any time in the history of the world. They are capable of things most only dreamed of when they were the same age.
We have to be open to suggestions on both ends of the spectrum because the same principals apply. You would be surprised what a 40 year old can learn from a three year old if they open their ears and their mind. Ideas are all in how you interpret them.
There is a lot of helpful information out there at our disposal. However, it will not always fall into our laps. We have to be willing to put it to use. The next time someone presents information to you or suggests a new way of doing something take the time to listen. You may be surprised what a difference it can make.