Life as an ongoing journey of learning

Life as an ongoing journey of learning

Mario D'Couto

     If there is anyone who at any point of time thought to himself or herself that there is nothing more to learn then I think that he or she has missed or rather not become aware of one of the major and crucial aspects of human life and that is the gift of learning. Yes, to learn is indeed a gift. Not many people in the world have the opportunity to experience it. Yet, learning is not something that is restricted to only books. It can happen at any moment and every moment. All we need is an open mind.
    There is a nice saying I came across some years back, which goes thus, "A person who is not able to change his or her opinions or is not able to learn new things is like a septic tank where water stagnates and mosquitoes breed. An open mind is like a dam where there is always fresh water flowing." The biggest room is the room for self - improvement.
    Learn from the mistakes of others. You can never live long enough to make all the mistakes yourself. You can learn more from a wise man when he is wrong than a fool who is right.
    An important way to keep growing is to never stop asking questions. Life's most important answers can be found in asking the right questions. The person who is afraid of asking is ashamed of learning. Only hungry minds grow.
    We should learn as if we live forever and live as if we are going to die tomorrow. Henry William said, "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young but becomes consistently more valuable regardless of physically capacity." It's fun to keep learning. Learning brings life.
    Learn from others. Learn to see in the challenges of others, the ills you should avoid. Experience is a present possession that keeps us from repeating the past in the future. Life teaches us by giving us new problems.
    And what about failures? Just as a full stop is not a real end because you can form a sentence after that so is it the same with failure which can be the starting point for success. No wonder the oft repeated dictum, 'Failures are stepping stones to success." A person is not finished when he or she is defeated. A person is finished when he or she quits. So don't quit!

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