#32 - Do you devote time to being a better you?
When I finished college about 35 years ago, I assumed that I was pretty much done learning. I knew that there were specific tasks that I would have to learn for any particular job that I would have, but I always thought that learning pretty much ended when we graduated high school or college depending on what educational path you chose to follow. About 15 years ago I realized that I was still learning…mostly about myself, but I was still learning. More recently I have come to realize that learning is a never ending process, or at least is should be.
One of the greatest gifts I have given myself is the realization that I am flawed. With that realization came my desire to try to be a better father (I’m a work in progress…still working on this one), a better husband (that one didn’t work out quite the way I had planned), and a better man. Over the past 20 years I have learned a significant amount about human nature and the issues we all face in life. Rarely are the issues we face easy to deal with or easy to change. However, with time, I have learned to more easily recognize issues that I have to deal with and to make the necessary changes.
Knowing the latest sports scores or what’s happening with your favorite Hollywood actor is okay, but very superficial. Take some time to learn about something that is of interest to you other than the purely superficial. If you don’t know what might interest you, pick up a book (not a magazine) and start reading. Keep trying books on different subjects until you find some that interest you. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on books. The library is full of books you can read for free. E-books can also be a very inexpensive way to acquire books. You don’t have time to read? Really? How about turning off the latest episode of American Idol, Survivor, The Bachelorette, or any other relatively meaningless TV show you might watch and spend that hour reading? Now, for those of you screaming at me that most of what you watch on TV is a way to relax or go brain-dead for the evening, relax. Brain-dead is okay to a point. However, try to fill a little part of your free time with something that is intellectually stimulating.
By reading just 5 or 6 books a year you can become a much more interesting and well rounded person. This makes you more attractive to a potential mate because you are better able to carry on a conversation about something other than sports or reality TV.
Let us know what some of your favorite books are.