As summer comes to an end, I have been thinking about the fun I’ve had with friends and family. One thing I was reminded throughout the summer is that even as adults, we all come with our preferences, struggles and abilities.
A friend who visited for a few days this summer did some “odd jobs” at our house, jobs that we may have had to hire someone to do if not for this visit. He loves being busy and is able to figure out how things work even if they are new to him. By the time he left, we had checked several jobs off of our list. While traveling with family, one member relied on another to determine the inner workings of a schedule and map. It was too frustrating to untangle for one and easily done by the other. And yet another family member said that writing is too hard, and he always asks someone to write for him if it’s an important communication. He is well-spoken and has a professional job. He just can’t write well and finds it incredibly frustrating. Continue reading
Most of us prefer knowing to not knowing. We derive a degree of comfort in knowing and understanding things. The unfamiliar brings about feelings of uncertainty and maybe even doubt in our ability to navigate a situation or endeavor.
Summer is upon us. As quickly as it has arrived, it will be gone. In the meantime, most of us spend a part of our summer relaxing or enjoying time away from our daily routines. I have contemplated “what I do to relax.” When most of us think about relaxing or hobbies, we automatically go to things that demand less of us – no longer working non-stop to deliver a project or product, but instead kicking back and doing less. Lying on the beach or at the pool, reading, or strolling about in a new place are often included in the “relaxation recipe.”
Coming across this quote the other day reminded me of so many times in life when learning just happened and just as many others when it kept slipping through my fingers. There are countless times that I have tried to do something and kept making mistakes or missing the mark, only to return to the task the next day or week and accomplish the goal in record time. Learning isn’t neat and tidy; in fact, it can be rather messy. 
Last year at around this time, National Poetry Month led to an impromptu celebration of 
Today, as I was going through the process I use to recall the amount I spend on gas each time I visit the pump, I took a moment to consider why it just about always works. 
Are you an auditory, visual or kinesthetic learner? Do you prefer to listen, see or move to gain the most from a learning experience? Most of us will say we think we know how we learn best. However, in the past few years research has debunked the idea of preferential learning styles. 
