Life is filled with opportunities for learning. Education neither begins nor ends in the classroom. Even if our formal schooling is a thing of the past, we’re never too old and it’s never too late to learn. Throughout life we can study, read, observe, inquire—learn—so that life in all its wonder and possibility opens to us. A columnist observed: “We live and learn. Indeed, the happiest people live to learn. They live for the delightful astonishments that never stop coming to those who never stop learning.”[1]
One of the pathways to happiness is to continue learning throughout life. Examples abound: A 78-year-old grandmother, despite apprehensions, learns to use the computer so she can e-mail her grandchildren. A new world opens to her. A middle-aged father hesitates to attempt a home repair, but after asking a lot of questions and taking a few more trips to the hardware store, he figures it out. His sense of accomplishment makes the effort worthwhile. A college student enrolls in a demanding class that she is not required to take. Instead of becoming discouraged by the heavy load, she feels challenged and exhilarated by the questions she can’t yet answer. All of these examples confirm that lifelong learning is good—it stretches us, expands our horizons, and enlarges our understanding.
Each of us could testify that most of our learning takes place outside of a classroom, in the school of life. The world God has given us is a library full of books waiting to be read. It’s a classroom without walls that cries out to the curious, “What, why, how, when, and where?” Our lives are like study halls that forever present opportunities to learn. The activities, hobbies, and talents we can pursue are limitless. Only time is limited. Begin today. Learning is so rich in astonishments, so loaded with opportunity. Waste not a moment. Live to learn.
Program #3916
[1] George F. Will, “Keep Learning throughout Life,” Deseret News, June 10, 1999, p. A25.