“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
“Live and learn.” It’s an expression we often hear in connection with life’s small setbacks. “I should have known better than buy a used cell phone for three dollars. Oh well, live and learn.”
Such an important insight shouldn’t be relegated solely to humble everyday uses. Consider the famous phrase Cogito Ergo Sum. The English translation is, I think, therefore I am. These three Latin words, attributed to René Descartes, form a pillar of modern philosophy. In simple terms, it means, “I must exist, or how else could I be having this thought?”
It is interesting to juxtapose thinking and existing the other way around: I am because I think. This would imply that the more you are thinking, the more you are living. It implies that thinking and learning makes life more meaningful.
Thinking, learning, even studying should not be limited to what you are required to learn. It’s possibly just as important to learn what you want to learn—for fun, for personal development, to be social, whatever your reason. In other words, become a life-long learner.
Many life-long learners read a lot. If you like fiction, you can decide to read everything by Stephen King or Shakespeare or J. K. Rowling or Toni Morrison. If you like non-fiction, local libraries and bookstores are good places to browse books on just about every topic. If you like towering scholarly works, three by one author, Daniel Boorstin—The Discoverers, The Creators, and The Seekers—can keep you occupied for a lifetime.
Aside from books, the chance to learn from movies, YouTube videos, audio books—you name it—is huge. You may also learn by experiencing places and events. Bucketlist.org offers many interesting ideas for lifelong learning, as does Patricia Schultz’s book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List. Why pursue a bucket list late in life? Make a list now and change it as you go.
Last but definitely not least, get into the habit of writing for fun. It’s a source of endless enjoyment that will keep you learning for a lifetime. The author E. L. Doctorow said, “Writing is an exploration. You start with nothing and learn as you go.” Keep a journal. Write poetry. Write a short story. Even just writing a journal entry for your coach lets you hear yourself talk and learn how your mind works.
Talking to your coach. Just as professors create a syllabus for a course, you can create one for your life. Keep it simple at first, add to it later. You can start with a journal entry where you say, “Every day I will read this day in history,” or “I will read daily fun facts every day.” Those goals are easy to achieve wit h a Google search, and they establish the habit of lifelong learning. Every day tell your coach why you did—or did not—keep building the habit. Making the journal entry will stimulate your thinking. Your coach will ask questions, not expecting an answer, but rather to make you aware of cues and reinforcers that drive the habit.
The written word is a part of every day life. At its most basic, writing is a way of communicating. This is the one inalienable characteristic of writing itself, whether you’re communicating with a colleague or friend or you’re actually communicating with yourself – though a shopping list, for instance.
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