Everything we’re exposed to is potentially transforming us. This occurs sometimes without us even being aware. And this merely demonstrates our capacities for learning, implicit deeper even of our intent to learn.
A lot of people will think that it’s only children who are ‘sponges’ for learning, but the truth is we’re all learning, all the time.
Knowing this means we’re wise to heed a warning.
Negative Input is Like a Cancer to Personal Growth
The watch point here is, “what exactly am I ‘taking in’ that is damaging?”
This is an issue for us on a number of fronts. We watch the News and engage in office gossip about current affairs and we invest in many unnecessary lies—at many numbers of levels.
When we associate with friends or acquaintances who have scant, or worse vice-based, wisdom we not only learn next to nothing of benefit, we begin to adopt some of their folly—a form of learning osmosis occurs. We learn in ‘backwards’ terms. We get trapped into their uniquely-negative style of thinking.
We might even be involved in spiritual activities or a church etc that gets into false doctrine, leading us forward in blind faith; we’d know this fundamentally in the way they treat people.
Being sensual creatures we’re designed to be programmed, but not all the programming is healthy. Indeed, the vast majority is junk. What are we subjecting our eyes, ears and feelings to?
What are we not filtering out?
Life – the Learning Ground
Life is the learning ground. Our sole purpose is to learn and apply; to sow and then reap and then sow again. When we view life from this angle everything we’re ever conscious of potentially affects us and our futures.
We cannot really afford to ignore this knowledge because we will often do so to our own peril.
Many people seem, however, to not care about it. We choose our actions despite the consequences. In fact, we, by our decisions, plan for the consequences we’re getting, although much of the time we don’t even think that far ahead.
Life and Transformation
Whether we like it or not we’ve been designed to be transformed.
This transformation occurs either positively or negatively, forwards or backwards. In some areas of life we’re growing and in some others we’re receding in growth—at the same time.
What we use we develop; what we don’t use dies. You know the principle.
The key is the areas of growth and recession. We can only hope to grow our hope, faith, wisdom and love whilst ensuring our helplessness, fear and folly recedes.
© 2010 S. J. Wickham.
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