The Beauty in Mind of Learning

Have you ever wanted to stop learning? Or have you ever learned something from something? Or have you ever thought of the purpose of you learning something?

I think learning is very much a self-fulfillment endeavour. Learning is a self-discipline and self-discovery voyage that opens one's mind to different and perhaps greater ideology, beliefs, knowledge and reasoning. In many occasions, learning itself is self-fulfilment as I achieve what I am passionate of knowing. Learning can also be a ‘self-inflicted’ experience which brings both pains and joys to one. Why do I say that?

When I was in university (QUT), I never thought of learning. Believe me, but it’s true. Learning can refer to getting knowledge or skill in a new subject, and to start to understand that you must change the way you think. In my context, it refers to the latter. Back then, learning is more of studying and acquiring certain knowledge in a particular field required in order to get good grades. In simpler words, it’s like doing assignments for the sake of getting good grades. I never understood why I did what I was doing.

It was until when I had finished my first year in QUT with 2 High Distinctions and 1 Distinction that I realized that this is not what learning is all about. Life after all is not just about getting good grades or determined by the total of A’s you get. I started changing my perspective towards Education as something that I want to use to teach my kids and make changes in their language proficiency. My beloved lecturer and mentor, Dr Jo Carr once told me that grade doesn’t reflect how well one teaches. How true. And this learning has definitely proven more meaningful to my life and my teaching carrier.

Yet, now that I am stepping into this carrier of teaching, I cannot imagine myself being a teacher in the next 30 or so years – 56 years old or 2040. It’s not that I don’t enjoy myself teaching, but I think there are more that I am to become than being a teacher. To see that my Year 3 and 4 children growing up one day and becoming doctors or engineers or even teachers makes me think I might one day be left behind too if I am only thinking of being in this carrier.

I think I have more to contribute than just being who I am today. Sometimes, I get pretty bored with things going on in schools because everyday is just another day passing by. That’s bad to think so isn’t it? It is bad cos I can feel my brain slowly stops thinking. And when my brain stops thinking, I eventually stop learning.

But there’s something inside which always nudges me whenever I am over lazy. Lazy here doesn’t refer to being lazy physically but rather mentally. And sometimes when I watched Astro and came across shows like Inventors, Megastructures, Great Minds and The Apprentice, I would think to myself why I can’t be like them. Or perhaps one day I will be like them too?

The world today has so many influential people. And each of them has his/her own very story to tell and inspire the world. People that I like to watch and listen to are like Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Steve Forbes, Tony Fernandes, Lim Goh Tong, Steve Jobs or even players like Christiano Ronaldo, Messi and Cesc Fabregas. All of them make wonders, inventions multi-billions deals and business. And some of them contribute so much to the world and become great philanthropists of the needy.

What about me here? Am I going to be here living my life forever as a teacher? Is this sufficient for me? Oh nooooo. I am not going to stick to this teaching carrier forever, though I do have passion for teaching. I need to get out from here. Perhaps, it’s time to change my mindset now. For all you know, I am greater than life – to think great things, to do great things, and to start learning NOW.

Learning is after all a self-interested act which never stops one from thinking. And that’s the beauty of mind of learning.