One of the biggest lessons I learned from my parents is to never stop questioning. They took it another step and tried their best to instill a love of learning into us. Even if it is a random fact, a new language, or a new skill that we may never need- everything is worth learning about. We were always encouraged to take a different kind of class, sign up for a workshop, or learn something different at camp.
This especially included anything that we could be certified
in. Because of this encouragement, I was certified in CPR, took a lifeguard class,
had a boating license, and even took a flower arranging class before I was out
of the 9th grade. Let’s not forget the fencing (with a saber)
course, photography, mechanics, and even a course on how cults function. The
options were endless. I can play a song on 6 instruments. I’m not trying to
brag- I mention this because none of this has ever hurt me- only ever broadened
my horizons. It started when was a toddler and I still make it a personal goal
of mine to learn something new every day.
Even now, they encourage things like this. If I mention
something I am interested in, dad says “you’re already learning about it- go
ahead and get certified, you might need it one day and it can only make your
resume look better. No one has ever been hurt by too much education.” Most
things these days involve IT and he looks it up to see what I’m talking about. We
have SPOTO IT for that! With SPOTO,
you can get courses, tutors, and certifications. It is like an all in one shop.
Because my children are homeschooled, I’m always looking for
ways to not only improve their resumes for college (even though that’s a while
off) but for after and for in case they decide college is not their future. I
want them to be successful, by their vision of success, but I am responsible
for setting them up for success. I will encourage them to get certifications
and courses as soon as they are old enough, but for now, I am encouraging their
love of learning.
I also want them to understand that even when you are in your "ideal" career, you should never stop improving and learning new things to help with your job. If you are a project management professional, for example, there is no end to the certifications.
Another way I am going to do this is by leading by example.
As they are able to do more independent school work, I’ll start taking courses
and doing the things I want them to do. I’ll start with a trip to SPOTO! I may even start with a PMP certification online. I'm very organized and I have always been in trigued with project management. I can get some project management professional exam prep.
I want to leave this post with a final encouragement. Never stop learning, dreaming, or reaching. Honey, reach for the moon- even if you fail, you'll land among the stars. Or, as my mama used to say- "if your dreams don't scare you, you aren't dreaming big enouch."
