Did you learn something today?  

I always feel like I have had a successful day when I have learned or done something new.  It could be as simple as a new recipe, an historic fact, a revelation about a relationship or a mathematical equation. Whatever it might be, it feels good to stretch the "little grey cells" (as Hercules Poirot would say). 

Although I do find that if I do not intentionally plan on learning, doing or reading, then I settle into an existence routine.  It is a routine whereby my world doesn't expand.  It becomes very self-contained.  After all, I am very limited in what I know.  It is boring to only have to think of that.  So if I don't purposefully challenge myself to explore new ideas I find that I am stagnant- in my thinking, in my doing and even in my speaking.  

Ways I try to keep the "little grey cells" healthy:

1. Read classic literature
2. Learn a language
3. Learn a new piece of music
4. Read about a subject (art, history, sciences, anything in the dewey decimal library system)
5. Engage in The Great Courses (www.greatcourses.com);  www.coursera.org, or Great Decision class (www.fpa.org/great_decisions)

What about you?  Do you have an existence-routine kind of life?  How can you rise above that?  Do you want to?  What types of learning do you like?   Is it learning a new skill or physical activity?  Do you like classroom lecture?  Are you a visual, auditory, read-write or kinesthetic  learner? 

Have you learned something new today?