My Learning List

Let me start first with a story...

At the end of July my family and I were in Snowflake 

for the pioneer day/Flake family reunion celebration.

One evening we were sitting in Grandma Flake's living room

and I spotted a BYU Education Week guide by the fireplace and started thumbing through it.

I had never had the desire to attend Education Week,

but for the first time in my life I wasn't in school

and I was overcome with a deep desire to go!

Ever since I graduated from BYU, I felt like a piece of me was missing

and that a big chapter of my life had come to a close.

I loved going to school. Like so much I get kind of weepy thinking about it.

And going from being a full-time student my entire life,

to being a full-time worker was not an easy adjustment for me!

I picked up the Education Week guide and began reading.
As I thumbed through its pages I saw classes on communication,

creativity, ballroom dancing (ha!), home organization, strengthening marriage, 

building families, finance, nutrition, gardening, literature...

I could go on and on!

I was so enthralled with this idea of getting to pick the topics that interested me and

 spending a whole week attending classes.

I was convinced I would return home a new woman,

and that I would finally feel like I had filled in the empty space I felt since graduating.

All in just one week!

So I brought my idea to Jason,

and he readily agreed that I should go to Education Week!

For about 30 minutes I was so excited,

until it hit me that the timing of this really stunk.

I would need to take a week off of work during a very important time,

and that meant less time off with Jason during the holidays.

Was that really what I wanted? Was there another way I could accomplish this?

Yes! It hit me.

I have a computer. I have books. And I have people who know about all of these things!

Once I realized that I had everything I needed to learn about whatever I wanted,

I made a list.

What did I want to learn about?

This is what I came up with:

gardening

literature

mending clothes
running for an hour straight

cutting Jason's hair

I know some of those things don't seem life changing,
but guys, here's the amazing part.

I wrote all these things down in my journal,

and ONE MONTH later,

I realized that I had begun or completed everything (except sewing, oops)

on the list!

I didn't even plan or schedule it all out,

I just wrote the things down,

then found myself doing them.

But actually, it didn't happen that easily...

First I had to eliminate something,

to free up the time to do these things.

Do you know what it was?

You guessed it. Social media.

For two weeks, I deleted instagram from my phone,

and only checked facebook every couple of days to manage video inquiries.

I discovered that I had a lot more free time than I had even hoped!

And it felt so good to know at the end of the day that I had used

the time I had been given in a way I was proud of.

During that period of social media deprivation,

I found that I not only improved myself,

but also engaged more with others through service.

I know that because I wasn't filling all my "in-between" moments with instagram,

I was able to receive more inspiration on what I could do to help others.

So now, I've thought of a few more things I want to do and learn about!

Here is my updated list:

maintain my garden

keep reading good books

learn to mend clothes

practice cutting Jason's hair (if he'll let me!)

try out one new recipe a week

take dance lessons with Jason

(so we can be that cute old couple out on the dance floor!)

spend more time on the piano

So let's get out there and do it guys!

Let's use the time we've been given more deliberately.

Let's learn about all those things we wish we knew how to do.

Let's then use those things we learn to serve others.

It's a beautiful life, isn't it?