One of the things I love the most in life is learning: new skills, new languages, new technologies. I hope I will never stop. Lifelong learning not only determines the brain plasticity but also helps the brain to acquire new information that can improve our immunity and even offers us the chance of new professional endeavours - with equally positive effects on our wellbeings.
Beginners by the American journalist Tom Vanderbilt explores the settling of new habits, through a year-journey during which he tried to understand what really means to be the perfect beginner.
The inspiration to further explore this topic was her daughter, from the toddler years - when one experiences the ultimate learning experience until during the school years, when there is a different amount and quality of the information shared and acquired. ´In learning along with our children, by tackling things together as beginners, sharing the pratfalls and little triumphs, we can actually teach them one of the most valuable lessons of all: Just because you´re not immediately good at something does not mean you won´t eventually get it´.
Vanderbilt experiences various beginner´s immersion: chess, surfing, choir singing, drawing. Each of those classes do affect his worldview but also put into motion segments of the brain or muscles rarely used otherwise. My favorite shared experience concerns singing as it reveals how important voice - and the way in which it is built into our throat - is for our identity.
´When we expand the self, we can see more´, and our brain - ´the novelty seeking machine´ - is taking the advantage of it. And when the brain is doing good, the rest of the body is also doing good. Your immunity is better, the heart and the lungs. Novelty triggers the brain to learn no matter the age and the professional background. Of course novelty should be introduced in short steps and without necessarily complicating everything. However, if a skill is to easy to learn it may not be worth your time anyway.
Beginners is sharing stories that you need to hear before embarking on a new experience. As many may have taken new classes during lockdowns, it explains why keeping your mind open and ready for intellectual changes is lifesaving. Practice without the pressure of outperforming is as important as doing volunteering work. It put the survival mood on hold while allows the body and the mind to flourish.
It is a recommended read if you are planning to start a new year - or maybe spend a partial lockdown - in a creative way. With such a life view, there is nothing to lose.
Rating: 3 stars
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