No matter how much I know about a subject, I have to remind myself—there’s always something I’m missing. No one ever reaches the end of learning. There is no topic, no skill, no area of life where I’ve learned everything there is to know. But sometimes, I act like I have.
When someone wants to show me a new trick for a product I’ve been using for years or offer a different way to approach something I’ve done forever, I resist. It’s not intentional, but I feel it—I push back, thinking, I already know this. You can’t teach me anything new. That’s my ego getting in the way. And when I let it take over, I miss out.
I miss out on new knowledge that could actually make my life easier. I miss out on a new way of seeing something I thought I had mastered. But more than that, I miss out on connection. Because when someone shares something with me, they’re not just offering information—they’re offering a piece of their experience, their perspective, maybe even their excitement. And when I shut that down, I shut them down too.
Kids don’t do this. They don’t dismiss new information because they already know some of it. They love learning—they get excited when someone shares knowledge with them. They want to add to what they know, not protect the illusion that they already know everything.
That’s the energy I want to bring into my life. I want to stay open, to remain curious, to remind myself that there is always something new to learn. Because staying curious doesn’t just make me more informed—it keeps my mind active and engaged. If I ever reach the point where I think there’s nothing left to learn, that’s when my mind starts to get old. Without new ideas, there’s no challenge, no stimulus, no growth. And frankly, imagine talking to someone who hasn’t had a fresh thought or a shift in perspective in years—maybe even decades. How interesting is that person to talk to? I don’t want to be that person. I want to keep learning, questioning, and staying open to what the world has to offer.
ACTION: Pay attention to moments when you resist learning something new—whether it’s a different way to do something or a perspective you hadn’t considered. Instead of pushing back, lean in. Stay quiet, listen, and see what happens when you approach it with curiosity instead of certainty.
