Grandpa and Grandma, Eurotrip 2007.
Can I make a confession? I'm speeding at extremely high velocity towards my birthday. On March 26th, I will turn... let's just say, I will turn the age when I'm legitimately allowed to say things like: "Listen to me, I have a lot of life experience" while sagely gazing at the horizon. It's a nice feeling not to "have" to learn new things, but of course not having to do something is precisely what makes it fun to do. So here we are, we can finally enjoy learning but... now there seem to be a lot more obstacles standing in the way. The full time job, the family and children, limited budget... the wind blowing in the wrong direction, my alarm didn't go off, but my show is on TV... But even more prohibiting is this fear that if I start learning something new now, I'll never become an expert at it, so shouldn't I just concentrate on things that I have clocked 10,000 hours in already? (Have you read "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell?) Very valid and logical concern. Shall we call it "beginner's anxiety''?
Who is that handsome pair in the photo? That's my grandparents. They really are life long students. That's them in 2007 on a Euro-trip, and they are serious when they travel, they go to museums with guides, not just sit in picturesque locations sipping drinks, like I do. Oh, and guess where they went the following year? Brazil and Argentina! Some people would ask why they wanted to go "so far" and my grandpa wold explain that it's simply because they haven't been there yet! My grandma would add that she had to accompany grandpa because she didn't trust him around all the exotic women. (My sweet grandma has passed away a few years ago, so now I guess it's my grandpa's turn to be concerned about her and all those handsome angels.)
Grandpa turned 90 this February. NINETY! He celebrated it on a cruise from New York to the Caribbean. (He has cut out the overnight bus transfers that he did in his 80's.) When I think of lifelong students, I definitely think of my grandparents. I have yet to encounter two people who are more in love with seeing and learning new things.
MARCH CHALLENGE
What is something you've been wanting to learn?
1 - Get started by learning it on your own or find a teacher/mentor.
I am personally going to give myself a very easy assignment, which is to learn to style bouquets! I learn better and faster if someone teaches me, and who knew our very own Mu-Hsien is just the right person for the job!
2- Make time for it.
Find a spot for it on your calendar and go for it. Since I'm giving myself a super easy task that isn't very time consuming, I'll just go today and pick out some flowers for my first bouquet arrangement! { Learn flower arranging with me. Follow our Pinterest board: Bud Vase Love }
3- Practice what you're learning.
I will put it on my agenda to make one bud vase arrangement a week.
Here's a peek:
Want to see how Mu-Hsien & I did with this challenge?
--> Challenge Wrap up
• • • LESSONS LEARNED • • •
Be a lifelong student, because being a beginner
keeps you young at heart.
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