Volume 01, Issue 19: Cultivate a Teachable Attitude

A teachable attitude is a must have to grow. We must resist the temptation of thinking that we know all there is know. Nobody knows it all. When we open ourselves to knowledge we realize that there’s always something new to learn.

There’s more to learn beyond your college degree. Apply yourself to a whole new world of knowledge. Keep in mind that it is what you learn after you know it all that counts.

If you are like me you have done a lot of reading and little application. If you can hardly remember the books you have read in the last few months, then you have not been reading that well. Evaluate yourself to find out if the materials you have read have changed you or helped you to grow.

I believe that there’s no point of reading if you are not going to do anything with the material. The whole point of reading is to grow. You may have become knowledgeable from your readings but still lag behind in growth. Growth is largely determined not by how much we know, but how much we reflect upon and apply.

Effective intellectual development involves reading, reflecting and behavioural change. Reading is exercise to the brain. The brain is a muscle and in the same way that our body muscles require exercise, so do our brains. Reading a good material and thinking about the content does wonders for the brain. However, don’t be caught up in the futility of reading everything. Build your personal library around your purpose.

Reflecting is contemplating on what you have read and letting it seethe in your mind. It is only when we reflect upon what we read that we practice quality reading over quantity reading. This is what we want. We don’t want to spend our limited time engaging in inconsequential reading.

True learning takes place when we apply the knowledge we gain from reading and reflecting. This happens when what we have read and reflected upon change our behaviour.

As we apply ourselves to knowledge, let’s commit to apply the timeless principles we glean from books and life experiences. One of our goals in life should be to grow and grow others. If you are to teach anyone anything, you must become a student among students.

Lillian Chebosi