I’m a Learner.

Yesterday I told
you something you may not know about me. So, continuing with the pattern, I
have a new thing to reveal about myself today. I’m sure some of you know this,
but perhaps some of you don’t.

 

This designation of
“learner� comes from the book and test, Strengths Finder 2.0. The premise of
the book and test is to help you find and develop your 5 most dominant themes
of talent, or strengths. Being a “learner� is on my list.

 

Someone who has the
strength of being a “learner� loves to discover new things. Not only gaining
knowledge, but also going through the process of learning that knowledge is
important and exciting to this kind of person. My report that detailed my
strengths said, “You are energized by the
steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence.�

 

What does this look like in my life
now, especially since I’m not undergoing any formal education at the present
time?

 

Shopping is a long
and tedious process because I’m a learner. Going to Best Buy and picking up a
new digital camera is not an option for me. I have to go online, research,
study, and find deals. There are questions that need to be asked and
comparisons that need to be made. Kindle? Nook? iPad? Which one is really the
best device? I can’t make a big purchase without going through the process of
learning about the products.

 

Traveling means
culture and history and big old rocks for me because I’m a learner. When I
traveled to Washington D.C. recently, I had to see the sites. I looked up the
list of museums and carefully picked out the ones that I had time to visit. A
trip to Athens Greece means reading through Acts, doing some Wikipedia
searches, and visiting big old rocks. I’ve seen a ton of big old rocks all
around the world and I absolutely loved every minute of it.

 

Netflix doesn’t
just offer an abundance of movies and TV shows. For me, I see new areas of
knowledge on demand, at my fingertips, because I’m a learner. If you look at my
Netflix queue you’ll find tons of National Geographic documentaries. World’s
Most Dangerous Gang?.. yeah I know about that. The realities of life in North
Korea through the eyes of journalist Lisa Ling… yeah I’ve seen it.

 

The same is true on my Amazon wish list. Mingled in with books
on leadership and discipleship you’ll find biographies on Ernest Shackleton,
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Mark Twain, and Abe Lincoln. Do you know who Percy Fawcett
is? I do. I randomly read a book about how he became obsessed with finding a
lost city in the Amazon and went missing in the 1920’s.

 

I’m not tooting my horn. By no means am
I an expert on any of the above matters. I just know a little. Aside from being
handy at Trivia Nights at the local Wing’s restaurant and being able to help
friends pick out a new camera, these things don’t come up often.

 

My friends think the fact that I’m a
learner is very funny. Some of them don’t get the big deal about the old rocks.
Some of them wonder why I research so much… obviously the most expensive camera
is the best one… that’s why it’s expensive. But, in the end, this trait is
absolutely a part of me, rooted deep. I think it comes from my dad. He’s the
one who told me bedtime stories about the Battle of Midway, the threat of the
Cold War, and the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis. 

 

Ultimately, my secret life goal is to
be on Jeopardy. That’s really how I
see all of this learning paying off. Can’t you hear Alec saying, “And returning
5-day champ, Ashley Musick with cash prizes totaling $137,000.� Sounds nice.

 

Until the day I show up on America’s
favorite quiz show, maybe I’ll be able to share a few of the things I’m
learning about with you through my blog. Maybe I’ll write about roller
coasters, or a new book, or a news story.