How to Always Keep Learning and Improving Yourself
It is essential that we always keep learning and improving ourselves, but does it ever strike you that there is still so much to learn about in the world? Sometimes I can be a bit intimidated by it. But honestly, it should excite us! There is so much potential for us! So much that we can learn and so much that we can share! Truly an inexhaustible amount of things on an unlimited number of subjects! We serve an infinite God! He knows no limits! So we as His people should be sure to never limit ourselves in any area of our lives!
One excellent way to continue growing and excelling is to continue your education.
Don’t stop once you’ve graduated, learned your craft, or landed your dream job. Keep flourishing and training! Seek to always have big, incredible goals ahead of you! I once read that you should have goals so big that only through God could you accomplish them! That inspires me immensely! I want to exercise my faith and my imagination and make God-sized goals!
Real Life Example: So what do I mean by a God-sized goal? Personally, I’ve recently discovered that I have a new goal that is so enormous that it will take an act of God to accomplish it – I’m so excited and inspired by it! *Drum roll, please!* The goal is to buy a turn of the century home, fix it up and live in it! I believe this is the largest goal I have ever considered and I can’t wait to see where it takes me!
This goal came with a few preset qualifiers that would make it even more fantastic if it came to pass. For one, I would only purchase the house if I had the money to buy it out right. No 30 year loans or the like. Also, I would have to have the resources to have it fixed up and maintained.
Having this dream of a goal has inspired and excited me. The truth of it is that it may or may not come to pass – nothing is cast in concrete. But until I’m shown a different direction, I am going to do my best to apply myself where I am right now!
Another way that we can continue growing is to learn a new skill.
Perhaps you work a full-time job, but you still feel like you have untapped potential – you should examine your interests and your capabilities more closely! Consider pursuing a new hobby or skill! But pursue it well and whole-heartedly. If you change your mind or find that it doesn’t inspire you like you thought it would, so be it. But you must give it a thorough, heart-felt effort!
Real Life Example: Not too long ago, I discovered that one could make soaps and lotions! What a luxury! I bought books, ingredients and did a lot of reading about preservatives, dyes, fragrances, essential oils, etc. I made these items for a while for myself, family and a few customers.
If I close my eyes, I can picture it now – the pure delight in whipping oils and butters into the most delicious looking lotions! The beautiful pastel colors that represented the different fragrances! It is a lovely memory that I cherish! But, as I mentioned above, if it doesn’t work out like you thought, it is okay to move on. And that’s just what I had to do. But I still have the memories and the experience! And do you know, someday if the opportunity presents itself again, I might have to pick right back up where I left off!
No matter your vocation, refine your capabilities regularly.
Perhaps you are in graphics design – you should be sure to pay attention to trends and new software and products that could make your work cutting edge, efficient, and excellent! Never, and I mean never, get so comfortable where you are that you fail to continue to grow! You must constantly improve and fine tune your work! Give it your best!
Real Life Example: This is something that I constantly try to do in my work. Somehow, I don’t feel like an expert with anything that I do, so I’ve started finding a specific training and following it through and implementing it.
My most recent training for my fashion company was on how to use Instagram more effectively. Now as I use it, I work hard to follow the recommendations that I have learned. I am also going through a course on how to write a blog remarkably well. True, what I am doing works, but if I can do what I do in a remarkable way, why wouldn’t I?! I’d much rather have a truly remarkable blog, than just a plain, old blog!
No matter who you are or what you do, you also must refine yourself regularly in a number of personal ways – your manners, your qualities, your thoughts, your attitudes.
To refine is “to improve by making small changes” and you must do so constantly in order to be your best! In order to be truly refined you must be genuine, kind, lovely, intelligent, and a blessing to others! You must take careful care of yourself and your possessions. Many ladies seem to have the “doesn’t matter” attitude toward the way they look and act, but that isn’t right. It is said that some people’s only glimpse of God might be what they see in you – so know, it does matter! Remember that you are a representation of God! What an honor! And what a responsibility!
Real Life Example: There is an old movie from the 1950s or so “Singin’ in the Rain” starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. It is a musical and quite enjoyable! In it, Gene Kelly is talking about how he came to be where he is now, and one of his mantras was “Dignity, always dignity”.
Well, rather in jest, but some reality too, that has become something that I like to remember too. When in the company of others that don’t know me very well, I strive to be enthusiastic, but I refrain from expressing all the humor that I have on the inside. Somehow, it seems that I can almost always have something funny (ridiculous, really!) to say, but if you don’t know me, or know what I’m referring to, the jokes and humor are wasted (and then I feel sheepish!).
So when doing work, events, meetings, etc, if these people aren’t my family, I just remember “Dignity, always dignity”! I’ve never felt foolish for acting dignified! (And it’s never a waste – I just plan to share all my clever humor with my family when I get the chance! Lucky them!)
Do you feel a new inspiration to work on your lifestyle, your capabilities, yourself as a person? I hope so! I pray that these ideas and real life examples have inspired and enthused you to be all that you can be! Please feel free to share below! And be sure to let me know if you liked that I shared my own real life examples with you!
Until Next Time!
Hope.