Learn

Sorry for the long delay between posts - with work and a cold I haven't had much time for blogging. I am going to try to finish my list - I've got at least 14 more posts to go. It probably won't be as consistent as it was, as I don't have as much time to research the topics as I did at Christmas. I may intersperse some other posts. Gretchen from the Happiness Project recommends a one sentence journal . Write one sentence about your day that made you happy. I may try this. It is difficult to commit to writing a journal or a blog, but I am pretty sure I can find time for one sentence. So without any further blathering here goes my post about learning.

"Growth itself contains the germ of happiness."
- Pearl S. Buck

"Wisdom is the supreme part of happiness."
- Sophocles

The research I found shows the act of learning can make you happy. Patients who had brain injuries were able to overcome the effect of the injury through retraining their brain. You can retrain your brain by doing brain exercises. The conditions for new nerve cell growth calls for intense concentration at a novel and rewarding mental task. One of the side effects of this kind of intense concentration is an increase in the level of happiness.

In order for this retraining to occur, the retraining is required to be completed at an intense level. A minimum of 7-8 hours per day, 5 days a week for 2 - 3 months is required. It is a full time job. This is contrary to most rehabilitation programs, which are normally only 2 hours 2 - 3 times per week.

The other thing the research found is that people who are happier do better at brain exercises and people who do better at brain exercises begin to feel happier. This is an interesting observation. I wonder if the reverse is true also - if you are unhappy and not succeeding at something then are you better off stopping or you will become more unhappy. I just started working on a new system implementation project in January. The vendor for the system is providing intensive training on the system over the next 2 -3 months.

This week we have been in a meeting room 7 hours a day learning how to setup and configure the system. I find this type of intensity quite draining rather than energizing. I think if I treated it more like being in school and a brain exercise rather than work, the feeling might be reversed. It is not very often that I get paid to learn something new. Usually, I have to pay for my own training and take time off work without pay to do it. This is a fabulous opportunity and I am going to treat it such rather than a burden.

Keep learning and reach for your
Bright Star Dreams


P.S. Here are some links to some research I found about learning and happiness.

http://www.micelife.com/heaven/2008/01/20/brain-training-and-happiness/

http://wikimag.org/2008/12/28/brain-fitness-training-makes-you-feel-good/

http://www.sharpbrains.com/tag/happiness

http://www.thepathway.org/pdf/DST_White_Paper.pdf

http://www.learningisfree.com/self-improvement/happiness/31949-brain-training-youll-be-happier-for-it.php