I’m stubborn, I’ll admit it. I’m so stubborn, not even the modern educational system could drive my love of learning out of me (although to be fair, I was lucky to have a handful of wonderful teachers over the years who fanned that flame, rather than dump water on it).
I’m always learning something — right now, I’ve got a stack of four books from the library on my desk, and two more in the living room, plus all the ChangeThis manifestos I still need to read, and the myriad of blogs in my Google Reader that are patiently awaiting my attention.
In fact, one of the aspects of the blogosphere that makes it really easy for me to spend way too much surfing is the amount of wonderful information and personal perspectives that are out there. New learnings are just a click away.
So, here’s my challenge to you, and my invitation:
Challenge: If you’re not currently pushing the envelope of your intellectual horizons… or if you’re feeling a staleness in your life that you wouldn’t mind giving the ol’ heave-ho to… then I invite you to pick something that you’ve always been curious about, and dive into it with all the passion of a two-year-old on a playground.
Invitiation: Write a post about your “learning edge” and what you’re into these days. Feel free to mention any books you’re reading, classes you’re taking, people you’re learning from or collaborating with, etc. Tell us about the gems you’re picking up, the fun you’re having, etc., especially if they’re shifting the way you look at what you do.
If you link back to this post when you write yours, I’ll compile the topics everyone is learning about, and link back to your post with it.
And, of course, feel free to tag a bunch of people you know as well…
My hope for this project is two-fold:
- That you’ll get a chance to expand your horizons by seeing what other people are learning about. I know there are lots of subjects that have been out there for years, but they often take a while to make it to me (or me to them, whichever way it goes). This just may speed up the process a bit…
- You’ll get a chance to not only hear about a subject, but get some personal insight and recommendations as well. I’ve always benefitted when a trusted friend turns me on to something that’s lighting their fires, and this could be a great way to get some first-hand accounts of some very interesting subjects.
And if we share some link-love, and grow our community, how much better can this be?
Okay, I’ll start:
I’m risking feeling a bit ‘behind-the-times’ by saying this, but my Edge right now is the Law of Attraction. I know it has been around a long time, but I got turned off from it by some comments made by people I trusted, a long time ago, and I’ve steered away from it ever since.
But having seen (and read) The Secret, and then reading material from the teachers in it, like James Ray, Denis Waitley, Mike Dooley, Bob Doyle, Laurel Langemeier, John Assaraf, including the ‘wowser’ program by Bob Proctor and Jack Canfield, I’ve seen so many similarities between what I’m learning from them, books like “Ask and It Is Given” by Esther Hicks, my new friend Edward Mills, and my experiences with Sufism, that I’m really excited by it all. More soon, I’m sure.
And since I’m kicking this project off, I’ll tag Tony Clark, Edward Mills, Wendy Piersall, Phil Gerbyshak, Ben Yoskowitz, Dawud Miracle, Tshombe Brown, and the Communicatrix, Colleen Wainwright.
And everyone else, feel free to write your own post and keep the learning going!
(you’re welcome to grab the image above, or this one here.)
Image by me, and I’m putting it under a Creative Commons license, natch.
And thanks to all who have commented on the previous post so far: Lee Riddell, Jean Browman, Dawud Miracle
Monk at Work is Adam Kayce's website about personal webdesign, inner peace and outer effectiveness, and helping you bringing your best work out to the world.
Adam. This is going to push a few edges. At least it did for me. And that’s good. Your use of the term “Learning Edge” made it crystal clear to me that it’s easy to get caught in the learning comfort zone - where you are “learning” but it’s really just a lot of the same stuff rehashed.
I can sense that this is going to be an interesting and enlightening topic for me to explore. Thanks for the tag and I’m excited to see what others come up with.
Right on — looking forward to it, Ed.
Hi Adam
Learning edge? Always going over that edge in my case
Is it something in my genes, my character, my nature?
I’m always reading (books, blogs, articles), always studying and combining all I’ve read, heard etc.
Still 2 books in their wrappings on the side-table next to my chair, two books in the dining - where I ‘wake-up’ with my first two cups of coffee - with a notepad next to it.
Learning, try to keep me away from it - then I get really bored!
Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)
We’re birds of a feather, Karin… mentioning your books in their wrappers reminded me that I just got a book in the mail from my friend Phil Gerbyshak, and I’ve hardly had time to crack the cover!
Oh and by the way, thanks for mentioning me up there in the same sentence with Esther Hicks. Quite an honor!
I’m so excited! I got tagged by Head Monk, Adam Kayce! Hip Hip, Hooray!
Thank you, Adam, for initiating this opportunity to learn from each other and multiply our collective ‘learning edge’ as a result. :)
Hey, you bet, both of you guys!
Ed, you know how it works — intentions manifest in all sorts of ways, and one of mine is to learn more (nay, get fully proficient at) the LoA. And here you are.
Tshombe, I thought of you right away because you’re someone I know who obviously puts learning on a very high priority level in your life, and I learn all kinds of things in arenas I never would have known about otherwise when I read your blog.
It’s the collective learning experience I’m hoping for… the “intersection of worlds” that can happen when we all contribute.
Learn on!
Wow, Adam - love this article!
Books of the day for me include Endless Referrals by Bob Burg, Essential Sufiism, 99 ways of the Sufi (a book you actually recommended by a guy with the first name of Neil), Flowing Clear by Grace Judson about clutter http://www.svahaconcepts.com, Ashtanga Yoga by David Swenson http://www.ashtanga.net, Music of the Soul another Sufi book, http://www.organizethis.com and various organizing sites which I’ve gotten through Jen Hofman http://www.simplicitystaging.com, Mark Silver’s books http://www.heartofbusiness.com, and then - the greatest teacher of all - life experiences. I’m also waiting for a book written by Dawud on Sufi Prayers. Needless to say, I love to learn!
Oh, the other book that has made a huge impression on me is How to Train Your Dog So Your Dog Doesn’t Train You by Hector Hernandez http://www.firstclassdogtraining.com - this book has really changed my life not just with raising a new puppy but you could insert anything in the How to Drain Your _____________ (kids, money, clutter, consumerism, judgmental thoughts, etc) So Your ______________ (fill in the blank) doesn’t train you.
Now, you can’t put a fence up or a special collar on most of these things but you can definitely use the concepts of you’re in control of your life - not whatever life presents in front of you - at least to a certain extent. The One is the Ultimate One In Control but you’ve got the earthly job at least for the moment.
I am hoping that you’ll put together a list of resources for us after you get more posts.
What a great idea you had to write on this - I’m impressed!
Not sure how/when/if your site will pick up a trackback, but I finally got my post up. Great idea, as usual, Adam. Fortunately, it dovetailed perfectly with a brand new project I’ve been working on, and your post was the impetus to put together my announcement of it!
I love learning, and the most interesting subject in the world for me is what makes me tick and more specifically what awakens me to be a kinder, more awake being that can help move me and the world toward peace. In that vein “1000 names for Joy” by Byron Katie with Stephen Mitchell is a must read for anyone on the path. Visiting http://www.byronkatie.com and http://www.thework.com can be a huge step toward more peace in your life.
Char, thanks for your list; that’s quite an array of pools you’re dipping into there! And yes, I’ll be compiling a list as the posts start adding up (he says, crossing his fingers…)
C-trix, yep, the trackback worked.
Thirty days of hypnotherapy, and then some — wow!
Dale, thanks for those; is that what you’re reading now, or are those favs?
I always have a learning edge. It was tango
about three years ago, then wine because I was going to write a wine mystery. Now it’s flowers.
The wonderful thing is that I get to read great books and buy them (because, hey, it’s research) for the book I’m writing. Recent favorites: Flower Confidential (about the buying and selling of flowers), Metamorphosis of Flowers (amazing, close-up photographs of flowers going through their changes, plus poetic text) and my current red: East Wind Melts the Ice by Liza Dalby, a series of short essays based on the Chinese almanac which divides the year into 72 segments. We are currently in Cicadas Sing but none are singing here. I would have to call this the Crows Squawk because all the young are out and the parents are following them around, yelling at them about how to behave.
Good question and topic, Adam.
I rarely read business books anymore. I pick up most of my learning reading articles and blog posts.
The most recent business book I read that I loved was the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
The book I’m reading currently and enjoying is A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman. The book is about the shift that took place in mid-14th century Europe that led to the renaissance. That might sound dry and academic but Tuchman is a wonderful writer and does a great job of bringing the period to life.
One thing that has struck me about the period (1345 to 1400) is how people in those days had extremely idealistic standards they were expected to live up to: one was the Christian ideal and the other was the Noble ideal of Chivalry. It was an enormous struggle between impossible ideals and human nature. Both the Church and the Nobility as institutions collapsed. There are some interesting parallels between then and now. No?
I read through “A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are” once and referred to it often. Then I gave it to a friend and just recently bought it on CD and have begun listening to it. It is a fav for sure. It is an account of Byron Katie’s response to her husband’s, Stephen Mitchell, translation of the Tao Te Ching. Some folks are calling this book a glimpse into the awakened ordinary daily life.
Wow!
Cool idea, Adam! Looks like I’m in good company with avid readers/learners!
Dale - Katie’s book sounds awesome!
As for me, I’m reading Kate Worsley’s “Personal Space” - which defines people’s environmental style into 6 personalities: easy, pure, wild, sensual, maveric, and urban. It’s rocking my world and I can’t wait to start using this stuff with my clients!
Does using Wikipedia every other day count as “reading something”?
Jennifer
Hi Waverly, welcome! The Metamorphosis of Flowers sounds amazing…
Judy, good to see you here again… I had no idea about that period; my knowledge of history is great in some (small) areas, and non-existent in others. Sounds fascinating, though.
Dale, that sounds really intriguing; I’ve got a background in Taoist studies, so it sounds like something I’d enjoy.
Jennifer, hey, you made it!
“Personal Space” also sounds fascinating (an astrology reading I once had said I’ve got big passions for all things “home & hearth”-related, and I’d have to agree). And yes, I count Wikipedia!
Anyone else for Harry Potter? I bought audio versions of all six books two years ago, when I started helping with a Harry Potter vacation school. I’m now listening to them all again, as well as Finding God in Harry Potter by John Granger and a delightful book by Louis CasaBianca entitled Defogging the Future—Unauthorized Speculation About the Seventh and Final Book of the Harry Potter Series.
I’m certainly not going to be one of the millions of fans waiting in line at midnight to get my new copy of the book, but J. K. Rowling has captured the imagination of tens of millions of people around the world, and I am curious as to why. I’m also curious about her view of the world, about what she’s trying to say and about what’s really happening with Snape, her most ambiguous character.
It’s a fun vacation and getting me in the mood for the next Harry Potter vacation school—the week of July 16.
My 10-year old son LOVES Harry Potter. He’s dyslexic and a big motivation for him to improve his reading has been his desire to read the Harry Potter books on his own. He’s made amazing progress in the last year since he was diagnosed and I credit his desire to read cool young adult fare as a big reason for his improvement.
One idea here is having something that you are so eager to do that it serves as a vacuum that pulls you forward in your learning…even if it takes you out of your comfort zone.
Anyone experience this lately?
Hi Judy,
I have experienced my love pulling me out of my comfort zone recently.
You could call me a peace activist and I have been prejudiced against people who join the military with the intent to learn to kill in the name of peace or freedom.
After decades of analyzing what might be the most effective way to bring about peace internally and in the world I have come to the conclusion, and this is my tag line: Inner Peace Is the Heartbeat of World Peace.
The primary tool I use for building Inner Peace is The Work of Byron Katie: thework.com.
I had a chance to volunteer as a Work facilitator at a Veterans hospital where Katie was offering service to Veterans and Staff. Despite my prejudice toward “the military” my love of peace and of using The Work as my tool of choice took me to the Veterans hospital where I was amazed at the powerful stories told.
I heard them share and watched them Work through some very challenging stressful stories. These incredible men and women brought me to tears of humility. Whether totally open or seemingly totally fixed in perspective they were amazing.
My love of peace took me to face, and quite naturally come to love those who had been my perceived enemy.
Love is the power. It was my privilege and good fortune to be in the presence of those Veterans. I am very grateful for all the Work they are doing to bring peace into their war-torn psyche. They have been amazingly enlightening teachers in my experience.
Peace, Dale
Speaking of love and tears, has anyone else read John Grogan’s Marley & Me? The subtitle is life and love with the world’s worst dog. It really is about life and love. I can’t think of any book that has touched my heart more. There’s a lot of laughter, too, but since it’s about life it includes death, so keep your tissues handy towards the end.
I just reread parts of it, and I’m overcome by gratitude.
You’ve really started something here, Adam. Thanks!
Jennifer’s mention of people’s styles plus Dale’s comments about learning to love people who look at things differently from him reminds me of the Enneagram and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I have a shelf-load of books/tapes/CDs of the Enneagram because it’s such a powerful way of understanding how differently people can look at the world. And you can’t really communicate/connect with other people unless you at least try to understand how they see things. The easiest and most fun book on the subject is The Enneagram Made Easy by Baron and Wagele.
I got hooked on Myers-Briggs when I took the official test years ago. When I received the results I thought, “For the first time in my life I feel deeply understood.” Probably the easiest book for applying Myers-Briggs in practice is The Art of SpeedReading People by Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger. They’ve also produced a video training kit that I’ve used to teach classes. The video interviews help make the subject come alive.
Judy,
I’m a Barbara Tuchman fan, too. My favorite of her books is The Proud Tower, about the societal events that led up to World War I:
“The diplomatic origins, so-called, of the War are only the fever chart of the patient; they do not tell us what caused the fever. To probe for underlying causes and deeper forces one must operate within the framework of a whole society and try to discover what moved the people in it.” — Barbara W. Tuchman
She does a great job of doing just that. It’s another book that’s extremely relevant to the changes going on in the world today. The discussion of the Anarchists reminds us that terrorism isn’t new. Thanks for reminding me of her.
Hi, Adam,
I tried putting this post as a trackback from my weekly post at StressToPower.com/blog tonight. I’m not sure if it worked.
Adam: Great to meet you. Feel free to add my blog entry/comments to the list of learning edges that you’re compiling. I’ll come back to read more. Cheers!
Jean, I’m definitely looking forward to the next/last Harry Potter; I’ve always been a fan, but even more so since I read them to my 7-year-old… it became a great bonding time for us. In fact, she can now read really well on her own (chapter books and all… a chip off the old block!), but she said to me the other day, “Dad, when the new Harry Potter comes out, I don’t want to read it. I want you to read it to me.” - gush -
And I agree; I think Ms. Rowling has written the story of our time. Not just popular, but in capturing the essence of our current worldview.
Judy, I love the point you bring up… I can’t remember where I saw it, but I remember hearing once, “We’re either pushed by our fears, or pulled by our desires.” (it could’ve been Tony Robbins, now that I think about it…)
Dale, thanks for sharing your experience… it sounds truly transformational.
Jean, I know people who swear by both the Myers-Briggs and the Enneagram. I’ve never been hugely into either, but I do find them intriguing. (I’m an INFP, and I think a type 4 or 5… I just took a free test a few days ago…)
dailytri, you got it! Welcome to the Monastery!
It’s so much better to know where was a meme originated from. This is my first time here, but I’m sure it won’t be the last one.
btw, Dawud did a great job with your blog, Adam.
I just got tagged with your meme and will be posting my reply soon.
My learning edge is that I realize that our human potential is virtually limitless, only restrained by our comfort zone and self-imposed limitations.
Adam, I love learning. I thoroughly enjoy being “uncomfortable” enough to continuously push the borders of my own comfort zone, employing the Slight-Edge Formula for continuous learning, self-improvement and personal development.
I wrote my first book, “Learning For Profit,” to teach others the simple principles of accelerated learning and share the benefits that such a discipline provides. Learning is a life-long endeavor with real, tangible benefits!
Vivien, welcome… and thanks, I’ve gotten some really sweet comments lately about the design; Dawud and I worked hard on it, and I love it.
I’m looking forward to your post!
Daniel, so true — our capacity for learning is tremendous. Where can we learn more about “accelerated learning”?
That love shows in attention to every little detail on your blog, Adam.
Thanks for coming up with this meme.
My post-reply is up on my blog now
Hi Adam,
I have to say that this blog is part of my Learning Edge! Definitely feeling a connection here.
This is a great topic. Currently on my nightstand:
The Black Swan by N.N. Taleb - this one has really got me. For a good summary of the author’s thoughts, go to http://www.fooledbyrandomness.com/goldbard.pdf
The current issue of Tricycle, the Buddhist Review
The current issue of Organized magazine
and I just finished The Way of Zen (specifically 1957 version) by Alan W. Watts
Also read Tom Peters, Zen Habits and Pamela Slim’s blogs.