How Do We Stay Relevant?
“We don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”—Walt Disney
Everything seems to be changing and advancing. Keeping up with technology and evolving have now become necessities. Our youth has no problem with adapting, but we as parents and adults need to do the same. Change can be hard, and harder for some than others, but we cannot let that stop us from moving forward.
Instead of resisting, we need to lean into it and be open and willing to learn and develop. It keeps the mind agile as we age. If we let ourselves get complacent, it only gets harder later.
We should embrace technology and learn how to tackle the unfamiliar. Invest in some training. There are lots of resources online or even within your family or neighborhood. It just takes making yourself vulnerable enough to learn.
We need to pay better attention to what kids are doing, seeing, thinking. Instead of reprimanding them about being on the iPad, check out what they are watching on YouTube, listen to their music with them, have them teach you social media tips, and engage with them on any of their interests without judgment.
Learn a new skill or pursue a different hobby. Stay engaged and carve out time to do something interesting or active. No matter what it is, pursue enrichment opportunities.
Keep reading.
Embrace friends from all different walks of life. You will learn most from those that are different and have varied experiences.
Do not be fearful. Make mistakes, take chances and be willing to simply explore. Learning can be a clumsy process at times, but you never know what you will stumble across.
The most exceptional artists and thinkers pushed their limits and were never satisfied. One question led to another revelation and to another question that was investigated and so on.
In fact, Thomas Edison experienced 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When he was asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison said, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”
“Those who keep learning will keep rising in life.”—Charlie Munger
