I am currently enjoying in a thoroughly enjoyable book that has opened my mind to the wonders of learning new skills.
As adults, many of us tend to shy away from stepping out of our comfort zones and trying new things, instead remaining content with our existing abilities.
However, this book 'Beginners' challenges this notion by posing the question, why should children be the only ones allowed to experience the joy of facing new challenges on a daily basis?
We live in an age that values expertise and often dismisses the beginner.
The author, Tom Vanderbilt, seeks to change this mindset by setting out on a journey to learn various new skills, including drawing, juggling, surfing, and more.
Along the way, he delves into the science of brain plasticity, exploring how our brains can continue to adapt and change as we age.
'Beginners' is not just a book about acquiring new skills, but it is also a study on the human brain and how it can be trained to learn new things.
Vanderbilt argues that we should embrace the challenge of learning new skills, even if we start off being terrible at them, as this can have numerous benefits for our mental and emotional wellbeing.
This book is witty, insightful, and profound, and has the potential to change the way you think about your own learning capabilities.
It encourages us to break free from the notion that we are too old or too set in our ways to learn something new.
Instead, it reminds us that we all have the potential to continue growing and evolving throughout our lives.
So why not take the plunge and start learning something new today?