To me, the old adage, ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,’ strikes up the concept of a willingness to learn. By the time a dog ages, his/her willingness to learn something new wanes. The learning gathered over the years yields the rewards desired so there’s little motivation to learn something new.
So, too, with us. The willingness to learn depends solely on our desire. I wanted to learn to cross country ski years ago so I could move around and get outside in the beauty of a winter’s day. My reward was fresh air, an uplifted spirit and a good workout!
What do you want to learn? Do you want to learn quantum physics? Energy medicine? How to balance your checkbook? To live in the present moment? What reward do you desire that motivates you to want to learn?
After six decades of learning — much of which sits on the shelf gathering dust — I realize what I want to learn is how to live in peace, to be content and happy. I’ve striven to be a productive worker and to help others all my life only to at times be frustrated, disappointed and disillusioned. My expectations were to do well in the hope of helping others. I now see ‘If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.’
I learned wanting to do what makes me happy is not selfish — it’s necessary to reap the rewards I now understand I really want.
It took a long time but now I see you can teach an old dog new tricks…if they want to learn!
