Spongey-ness

Our one-year-old is the most brilliant person I know.  He is learning a new language, expanding his motor-skills to heightened levels each day, and has even picked up a little sign language.  Amazingly, with a day’s worth of intentional instruction he can pick up a new skill.  Sure, he may not boast the same knowledge base as most people, but he is learning at an astounding rate.  As my wife put it the other day, “He is a sponge.”

Anyone who has been around a toddler recently can relate to their “Sponge-like” ability to learn.  Somewhere along the way, our ability to absorb information and skills naturally slows.  We slip into ruts of thinking and reasoning.  We settle for the current status of our potential giftedness, because we do not expect to be able to rise to new heights.

So the question becomes, are we doomed to a steady decline in our personal growth?  Not necessarily.  However, if we want to grow, intentionality is key.  We have to choose to soak in the things that will challenge us toward positive change. 

The average adult will read only two books per year following graduation.  Most halt their education after they receive a diploma.  Because the academic framework is no longer in place, the drive to be intentional in growth fades.  We have to re-capture our “spongey-ness”. 

Here are a few suggestions so begin soaking in…

1. Read – Just like the body, the mind needs to be extended daily for growth.  Reading accomplishes this, especially when we interact with text outside of our established knowledge.

2. Converse – Go beyond the “how is your day” conversation and dive into a topic with someone else.  Have the kind of conversation that kept you up late.  Talk with someone that thinks differently with you and practice talking without arguing.

3. Study – Pat Williams once said, “Read five books on a particular topic and you will be an expert on it.”  Whether or not you will obtain expert status from reading five books, you will surely be more knowledgeable about a topic than another person who has not studied as deeply on the issue.  Choose something to study that will be valuable to you and the world around you.

Personal growth is possible at any age or life stage.  It is a choice to increase your “spongey-ness” so let’s choose to make that choice today!