I really believe the brain is a muscle, and it you don’t challenge your brain regularly, it gets flabby and less fit.
One of the thrilling things about my job is that I am forced to learn constantly. I know that I am a much more efficient learner now than when I was in my twenties, because I have to be in order to do my job properly. After I graduated with my first university degree, I spent five years working in a picture framing store. I loved the hands on nature of the work and helping people choose frames to enhance their artwork. I also enjoyed being surrounded by the beautiful pictures, posters and photos on the walls. However, in terms of learning, I was in a warm and pleasant comfort zone and I was never challenged to learn much of anything new the entire time.
I have learned that the more I learn, the more confidence I gain, which makes new learning easier and more pleasant. However I have also learned that sometimes this process can be a bit uncomfortable, as the brain makes room for new information, new understandings, and new feelings.
