Popcorn learning.

This year I returned to reading books. I used to love reading and drifted away for a variety of reasons, mostly excuses about not having enough time. But this year I returned. I bought books. I waited for months to get books from the library. I reread old books from my shelves at home. Some were great. Some were “meh.” Some led me down entirely unexpected paths of thought and inquiry.

I took classes this year. All of them online. I had drifted away from taking classes too. Excuses and time. But this year I took chances. I signed up for classes on creativity and women’s health and functional medicine. I expected nothing from some classes and thought others would open up doors. I suffered through some and came alive in others.

I asked questions this year. A lot of questions. I pondered and thought. I am leaving this year with more questions than answers.

And all of this reading and class-taking and questioning, it was all learning. Growth. Change.

Some of the learning led to open doors and more learning. Some lead to dead ends. I spent 40+ hours on a women’s health course I thought I would love. I did not. But in the midst of that course I found a few kernels of interesting and those kernels lead me in an entirely new direction. Like popcorn when it is popping – sometimes the kernels pop and fly in the most random directions and sometimes they don’t pop at all.

If I were my own best friend I would give myself a hug for returning to learning. There will be books and classes I am excited about that just don’t pan out the way I expect. That’s okay. Find the kernel that is interesting and move on with that. Keep reading. Keep questioning. Keep popping.