Day 4: Map and Plan Life-Long Learning

Today you will make a plan to renew and nurture your mind. Mental nurturance comes in the form of life-long learning - the process of acquiring and expanding knowledge and skills throughout your life. Learning is just as nurturing as is eating good food; if you give your brain something fascinating and challenging to digest, in small bites, you will be amazed at the insights and ideas that will bubble up, and the new mental strength and clarity you will gain.

Adults are motivated to learn because of internal factors such as self-esteem, a desire for a better quality of life, or the opportunity to reach life goals. But it’s still difficult to fit in time to learn anything that isn’t essential. And if you do mental work for a living every day, you might not feel like reading in the evening; more like a sit-com on TV! 

So, let's get creative and broaden the definition. Life-long learning can be accomplished by reading books, but also by listening to podcasts, taking classes, watching a documentary, going to a museum, attending a lecture, or joining a discussion group - all these things will nurture your mental self.

And you can also nurture your brain by writing in your journal regularly (to better understand your mind), or by expressing yourself with words (maybe write a letter to the editor, or speak at a city council meeting). Also, by teaching others: If you teach ideas and skills to others, you are more likely to solidify that learning for yourself. 

Or begin a challenging project - set out to make something you don’t know how to make or start up something you have no idea how to start- and find resources to learn how to do it along the way. 

Take out your Love Journal:

• First review conversations and interactions you had yesterday, and your general frame of mind with the world.

• Next, think about the people you will see today, and the conversations you may have. Make note of times when you might need to draw on nurturance for yourself.

• And then answer these queries: 

-What are my present interests and projects that might benefit from some research? What current events or issues do I wonder about?

-What new skills might be useful? How might I like to better myself?

-What kinds of things have been of interest to me in the past? What subjects did I love in school?

-What are my favorite ways to learn (books, podcasts, classes, experimentation...)?

• Brainstorm a comprehensive set of possible subjects of learning that covers every area of personal interest, each of your life priorities, inner and outer areas of study, new skills, and current events. You can do this as a list or as a Mini-Map, with "Renew my Mind" in the center. Let your imagination carry you along and add in as many fun and creative ideas, learning techniques, sources, and motivations as you can think of.

• Discern the top 1-4 subjects of learning that will make the biggest difference in your life now, and add them to this month's priority grid - no more than one per week.

• And end with a 5-minute Love Meditation. Send the "pink light of love" to yourself.