The Process of Personal Transformation: A Boat Called Education
Rudders & Paddles & Sails, Oh My
No one can “get” an education, for of necessity education is a continuing process and it is by no means limited to the classroom.
- Louis L'Amour
Working Formula: Transformation = EDUCATION + Action + Motivation
When the subject of education is brought up, most of us think of sitting endlessly in a classroom listening to boring lectures, slogging through countless expensive textbooks, and writing papers on useless subjects that get filed away in some black hole never to see the light of day again.
This is why most middle-aged folks don't think much about further learning. That, plus the time commitment and the prohibitive cost of formal higher education these days keep many from pursuing it any further.
The result, unfortunately, is that education becomes a passive process - The primary means of instruction being the TV or the internet.
Education is Like a Boat
Think of education as a boat with various stages of navigation ability. If this boat has no navigation aids, it will drift at the mercy of whatever current of mindless entertainment it happens to be caught in at any given moment.
Our thoughts, beliefs, and life philosophy are constantly being molded and updated by what we hear, see, and experience, most of it at a subconscious level.
A Rudder
Just imagine, though, what adding a rudder would do.
Even though a rudder is relatively small, it gives some ability to maneuver within that current. Though the boat would still be traveling in the same general direction, it has some measure of control.
A Paddle
Let's say, however, someone saw your plight and tossed you a paddle. That would double the capacity to direct your course. Not only could you steer the boat within the current, but adding a paddle allows the ability to move in and out of the current or even reverse course with a little effort.
A rudder and paddle can be viewed as our basic primary, secondary, and college education.
A big hurdle in the pursuit of personal development for many adults at this point is that once we have finished high school or college, in our minds our education is completed.
That part of our lives begins to go dark.
This is where the danger of drifting way off course lies. So many adults turn off the active learning mode and go into a sort of passive trance-like state of mind that I dubbed Comfortable Misery in one of the initial posts I wrote on Life UnCorked:
According to statistics, the average person (adult) reads approximately 12 books per year. Overall, not too bad, but what kind of books? A person who truly wants to change their circumstances must choose their reading material wisely.
A big hurdle in the pursuit of personal development for many adults at this point is that once we have finished high school or college, in our minds our education is completed.
A Sail
Now then, look what happens if you add a sail to your boat. A rudder gives you limited steering ability. A paddle adds more maneuverability, albeit with a lot of hard work.
But, a sail - A sail brings a whole new dimension to the scenario. A sail, properly set, will take the sailor wherever he desires to go, no matter which direction the current flows or the wind blows.
A skilled sailor who possesses a rudder, a paddle, and a sail has all the tools he needs to fully direct his course.
With a rudder, he can maneuver within the current in a general direction. Adding a paddle will enable him to have control to go in a more specific direction within the current, get out of the current, or even go against the current.
With a sail, however, he can utilize the wind to fill his sail and take him in whatever direction he chooses, while he simply guides the boat with the rudder.
We all face the same winds of adversity. What makes the difference is how we set our sail. - Jim Rohn
This whole subject is near and dear to my heart and one that took me a long time to understand. I wrote a piece about it early on in my Substack journey:
Today, education means far more than a traditional college degree program. If we are serious about changing the direction of our lives, there is no lack of available tools & navigation aids to guide us along the way. Much of it is free.
The only obstacle is our initiative.
Part three of the Process of Personal Transformation series will dive into the different aspects and various means and tools of education that serve as the building blocks for personal growth and transformation.
Thank you so much for following along in this study of Personal Transformation, no matter where life takes us.
Until next time, friends -
Romans 12:2 "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind …”
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So many of us have been up that well known tributary with no visible means of locomotion.
Thanks for your helpful thoughts, Cork.