Passion-Based Learning

Having completed my undergraduate university studies recently, I began having some profound self-reflections on the journey I had just completed.

Allow me to share with you a little story. It’s about this guy who felt that university “education” can be (but isn’t always) a waste of time. It’s about how he was primarily motivated by inquisitiveness and passion rather than getting good grades all the time.

It’s about me, but before that, let’s get into some general thoughts. Remember, these are just my opinions and my own perspective. Feel free to add yours.

Picture Courtesy of foundphotoslj

One-Size-Fits-All

We’re all unique, and in a free society, we’re able (as we should be) to express this individuality in creative and inspiring ways. In my experience, formal education typically results in conformity. Moreover, it does not take into account that different people learn differently, some better through visual aids, others better through actual hands-on work and so on. Let’s also not forget that different people are motivated by different things. One-Size-Fits-All Education can crush the potential and creativity of too many poor souls. Research proves this:

… research confirms beyond any semblance of doubt that not all students are able to learn successfully at the same pace, with the same approach, in the same environment, on the same path, and in the same style and manner. Research confirms that every individual assimilates information according to their own unique learning style, need, and interest. Learning styles vary.

… It is time to recognize and acknowledge that a one size fits all model can no longer effectively serve the needs of all public education students. The real solution for our public education system must be founded upon a paradigm shift. Rather than trying to force-fit every student into one model, the answer is to provide, in addition to the traditional model, an alternative model that offers flexibility to fit the needs of the student.

Outdated System for the Industrial Age

Too many educational institutions are modeled on an outdated paradigm based on the old days of the industrial age. You get “equipped” with a certain set of skills, programmed with some relevant knowledge and then you’re shipped off to the job market.

Sounds normal right? Sure, it does, but normal doesn’t make it necessarily right.

Times are changing. We’re moving into the Information Age, the age of knowledge-based economies, an age in which the birth of the internet has revolutionized our world. Some educational institutions have begun recognizing this and are now evolving accordingly. Many others aren’t, and it’s a tragedy.

Job “Security” Vs Job Security

The status-quo is that you should go to school, do well and eventually graduate from university with high grades. Now, I don’t necessarily disagree with this, but then again I never promised you the status-quo.

You see, the status-quo isn’t one aimed at putting you on a path towards true, self-directed and passion-based learning. It is one focused on ultimately giving you job “security.” It’s not focused on putting the passion into work, but merely getting you to a stressful and boring routine which helps you put food on the table.

Job “security” is very different from job security. If you go to a job you hate with a boss you can’t stand, chances are you’re unhappy and stressed out. The security is only financial but not emotional, and that is not real security.

Best case scenario would be you going to university to study something you’re excited and passionate about, graduate and then of course get yourself a job you like.

Curiosity and Lifelong Learning

I know I may come across as being very critical here. I am and I think it’s only fair that I help provide a remedy to the situation instead of just criticizing it.

Well, here is the short version.

I think instead of just stuffing material into students’ heads, education should focus on igniting a student’s curiosity in any topic he or she is excited or passionate about and then help set him or her onto a journey of lifelong learning.

That’s it. Ignite the fire instead of wasting energy trying to push something uninterested in moving towards the direction you want it to go towards.

Curiosity first, the rest will follow.

Picture Courtesy of Steven Fernandez

Passion, Learning and Satisfaction

I know it’s all easier said than done but that’s the whole point. A big reason most people wake up every morning to labor through things they’re not passionate about is because it’s “easier.” It’s the accepted norm. It does not require swimming upstream against the tide.

There’s a reason why not everyone who goes to the gym ends up with that amazing body.

Resist the temptation to slide down along with the tide to a Mediocre destination. The effort is worth it. Carry on with the soul searching and sooner or later you’re bound to arrive at a decision that will be both practical and emotionally satisfactory.

*** Okay, So Here’s My Story ***

I spent four and a half years in university. Most of what I’ve learned, I’ve already forgotten. So many subjects were taken, some were enjoyable, a few were alright and others were absolutely boring.

I wasn’t the type motivated by high grades. When I scored a 3.79, I wasn’t satisfied. When I eventually scored a perfect 4.0, I still wasn’t satisfied.

All I did during those specific semesters I scored high results in was study and study some more. I stopped working on my music. I stopped borrowing tons of super fun books about entrepreneurship, personal development, music, philosophy or whatever I was curious about from the library, and I basically put aside what I was passionate about to focus instead on courses I wasn’t really into.

What I did next was make a radical choice.

I began doing what I enjoyed while maintaining a fair amount of attention focused on my formal education. I didn’t score as high as I was “supposed” to but nevertheless, I was a lot more satisfied and happier.

Better still, I learned more from the blogosphere on my own than I did from most of my university courses!

Formal education gave me a degree and some knowledge, but informal and self-directed education opened my eyes, intensified my curiousity and gave me a lot more knowledge.

For the sake of truly engaging in passion-based learning, One-Size-Fits-All Eduction is a complete and utter disaster.

What did formal education do for you? If you could go back in time and change anything, what would it be?

Highly Recommended Read:

How the Public School System Crushes Souls

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A few months ago I was out with J, a friend studying medicine. We were chilling nearby a lake on a windy day. He seemed distracted and so I asked him “how is medical school, are you enjoying it?” He smiled, stared at the grass for a second, and replied “I don’t know man. I’m not really sure if this is what I want to be doing.”

Photo Courtesy of skampy

I knew that look, the one he had on his face and so I asked him again “dude, you didn’t answer my question, are you enjoying it?” His answer was a resounding “no” and then he added “but maybe I’ll eventually start to like it.”

I told J that he didn’t have to feel burdened by the thought of being stuck in medicine for the rest of his life. Many people graduate with one degree and end up doing something completely different and unrelated for a living later on. One great example of such a person is Scott Adams, Dilbert’s creator. He’s someone who exemplifies the philosophy of passion-based learning.

J asked me how he can find out what he’s passionate about. I told him what I’m about to tell you.

Sometimes we do indeed end up liking what we study or do for a living and develop a passionate for it. At times however we deceive ourselves into liking what we don’t like. In psychology this is referred to as cognitive dissonance. Don’t fall into it!

It’s not easy finding purpose and passion just as it isn’t easy finding success. If it was easy, everybody would be happy and satisfied. It’s important to keep that in mind. The road to finding your passion is a bumpy one.

“Life’s a journey, not a destination” - Steven Tyler

There are many things one can do in one’s quest for passion. None of them will magically give you all the answers on the spot. It takes time and a lot of contemplation but once the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fit together, the feeling is exhilarating.

One thing that helped me and which I wasn’t aware of at first was going to book stores. At the time, two years ago, I had an okay idea about what I liked and wanted to do but the big affirming clue was provided by my journeys to book stores.

I realized that every time I entered a bookstore without the intention of wanting to buy a specific book, I would wander around in the beginning looking for interesting stuff. Initially, I believed that this wandering was just random and aimless with no clear pattern but when I paid attention, there was indeed a pattern.

I would recall which books I curiously picked and discovered that I consistently gravitated towards certain book sections in the store. Those sections were my hint. The finding indicated that I was on the right path as it matched with what I knew I liked.

That was a start. It can be your start. From there, one needs to narrow down the big-macro interests and likes into things that are more specific. Having a very clear goal makes the planning aimed to achieve it easier.

Related:

• The Undeniably Massive Importance of Passion
• Finding a Purpose and Passion In Life: How and What?

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Passion-Based Learning is not my first blog. There are “predecessors”.

You see, my affair with this mighty creature we call the blogosphere began about two years ago. So far, it has been the most valuable educational experience I have ever had. If one word can describe it, it would be immense.

• Immense learning.
• Immense passion.
• Immense discussions.
• Immense discoveries.
• Immense fun.

There is so much I can talk about but I’m going to try and sum it up in seven points, seven enormously beneficial things blogging did for me.

The 7 Great Benefits, Exposed

1. Reduced Fear of Sharing My Words With Others:

I’ve always liked writing stuff and saving them aside somewhere whether on scribbled notes or in a digital format. Thing is, I thought of them as something private, only meant for my own eyes. After all, it’s not like I was writing an essay for a school assignment or something of that sort. This was a different kind of writing, one which is more personal and straight from the heart.

“Dry” writing isn’t very interesting but one crafted with passion, openness and enthusiasm resonates strongly with readers. Sharing that kind of writing was a huge challenge at the start. I was not comfortable putting myself “out there”. It felt too personal to share and therein was the contradiction.

The blogosphere is primarily about social interactions and personal connections, and if you don’t infuse your personality into your writing then it won’t be captivating. Forming relationships involves social interactions first, a process which in itself requires the person to open up and become more personal as time progresses.

After a while I realized I was only hurting myself with being afraid and so little by little the fear vanished. Today, I’m at ease and more than happy to share my words with everyone. At the end of the day, those words are mine, they came from me, they are me and I chose to throw away the curtains.

Further reading:

• How to Overcome Fear - Overcome Fear By Not Overcoming Fear

…

2. Helped Me Find My Voice:

Blogging allows you to “archive” your brain and then go back and see how it evolved. More importantly though, through debates and non-stop discussions, it helps you find your voice.

Having stances and believing in something is pretty much just like having a voice. It provides you with a foundation on which you can build your arguments and opinions. Of course that doesn’t mean being rigid, because with time as you learn more and gain deeper insights into the topics you’re busily exploring, your “voice” evolves.

3. Improved My Writing Skills:

By the time I began blogging, my English was already good. In fact, I scored a surprising ‘A’ for my high school English O’Levels exam. My writing however was very mediocre.

Writing is not just about grammar and a rich vocabulary. It’s about expression and that’s what I sucked at. I had the ideas but I just couldn’t seem to put them into proper expressive words. Getting that perfect blend was never easy. It was hardly the way I wanted it to be - poetic and philosophical.

Blogging did wonders. Thanks to it, I’ve written something almost everyday for a continuous period of two years. I actually wrote the equivalent of a one thousand pages book. Yaay!

Unlike in school where you write because you’re forced to write, when you blog you feel the need to write better because you’re doing something that is self-directed. You’re sharing ideas and you realize that if they’re not well written, they won’t be well understood. It is precisely this reason that creates such a strong incentive to improve expressiveness and writing skills.

4. Allowed Me to Discover More Specific Interests:

Before stumbling upon the blogosphere, I had a good idea about what my interests and passions were but blogging allowed me to fit the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle much more intricately and tightly.

The discovery of specific interests has been super cool because my researches are now essentially two inches wide and one mile deep. Best of all, they’re heavily interrelated and overlapping.

5. Helped Me Become Very Internet-Savvy:

This one is certainly a nice benefit. I often struggle with friends to explain to them topics like what RSS is, how it works and how they can use it. I know how difficult it can be for newbies to get it. I used to be one.

Blogging changed that. I’m very internet-savvy now and I would never dream of being at this level if I didn’t start blogging.

It can be hard to grasp how those “technical thingies” on the internet mash and work together especially if there is no strong incentive. But again, many of us blog because we have opinions to share and that in itself creates a solid incentive for us to understand the technicality of the internet and how the available tools can make blogging a better experience.

Before I knew it, I was already using tools that enriched my blogging and boosted my learning productivity. I didn’t even know that what I did actually had a name. Apparently, I formed something called a personal learning environment.

I didn’t bother about what it’s called. I just loved the fact that I wasn’t internet, or more specifically Web 2.0 illiterate anymore.

Further reading:

• 7 Easy, Powerful Steps to Create a Personal Learning Environment
• The Ultimate List of 50 Kick-Ass Blogs To Boost Your Learning Experience

…

6. Sent Me to International Conferences:

This one was totally unexpected but through blogging I managed to form great personal relationships with many other bloggers. Little did I know that some folks far away were observing us and our discussions. Who knew? They thought some of us would make suitable guests at their conferences and so the invitations arrived. Next thing I know, I’m traveling the world, attending international conferences and meeting super great people.

Oh and the expenses? Fully paid for.

An added benefit is that you don’t have to just go for the conference itself and leave immediately after it finishes. You can ask the organizers to change your flight bookings so that before the conference begins or after it ends, you can visit friends staying in the same country where the conference is held and chill with them for a whole week or even three.

That’s what I did when I went for a conference in the United States last year. I had a lovely time meeting family and friends.

(In case you’re wondering, all pictures are courtesy of Mike Licht, NotionsCapital)

7. Handed Me Career Opportunities:

Number 7 is the ultimate inevitable benefit (besides personal development of course).

• My improved writing skills meant better cover letters and written communication.
• Being internet-savvy meant I had more to bring to the table.
• Attending international conferences meant a more impressive background.

Keep in mind that at the time of writing this, I am still in my final semester of university but thanks to blogging I have already managed to attract career opportunities, and not just any kind, no, I’m talking about ones I can be very excited and deeply passionate about.

What has blogging done for you?

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Fear is a natural human emotion. Whether we like to admit it or not, we all feel it to varying extents sometimes. At its most basic level, it is a survival mechanism. If you see a fire, do you put your hand into it? When you go to the zoo, do you climb into a cage and share a cheeseburger with the lions? What if the lion escapes instead, are you going to stand in front of it and smile?

• We fear what is dangerous.
• We fear things which have the potential to cause us pain.

Putting your hand into fire burns it, and lions can tear you apart. This basic fear that keeps us away from doing the aforementioned is good fear. We should be thankful for it and embrace it. Yes, that’s right. Embrace it!

You see, fear itself isn’t the problem and it shouldn’t be perceived as such. The problem is something else.

Courtesy of millicent_bystander

1- Redefine “Dangerous”

Dangerous things with potential to cause pain trigger fear. The focus therefore shouldn’t be on fear itself but on what triggers it instead. That’s the primary problem. How you define things as “dangerous” is the true key and it should be the first step you start working on.

Things That Are Clearly Dangerous

These are things that can stop you from breathing and put you 6 feet under the ground:

• Getting shot by a gun
• Jumping off a 30-story building without a parachute (unless you’re Peter Petrelli)
• Getting stabbed with a knife
• Popping 20 Viagra pills all at once

… and the list goes on. :-)

Things That Are Dangerous Because You Make Them So

These are examples of things you need to redefine and think about differently. You may be wrongly perceiving them as “dangerous” and as a result they trigger within you unnecessary bad fear.

Starting a Business:

What’s the worst that could happen if you started a business? Will you fall so bad you won’t be able to get up and continue walking? The truth is, it’s not nearly as bad as you think it will be.

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. - Thomas A. Edison

Remember, if you fear it, it does not mean it’s an inherently dangerous or crazy thing. The cause of fear is you and that’s a good thing because it means you are in control of it. Since you turn fear on, you can also turn it off.

So go ahead. Redefine the idea of “starting a business” and remove it from under the “dangerous things” category you have in your mind.

Go for it. Yes, you may fail but if you do, you’ll learn a lot from the experience - more than any book about entrepreneurship can ever teach you. You still win. In fact you’ll be wiser and smarter, and from there, you can try again.

If you’re passionate about it, it shouldn’t be a problem. Success is a stack of failed efforts.

Asking Out That Lovely Someone You Adore:

There was this girl I really liked back in high school. At first I was scared of asking her out even though we shared a decent friendship. K was absolutely gorgeous - her eyes, her smile, the way she walked… all so very gorgeous. I wanted to tell her but I just couldn’t. I was afraid of getting the same vicious “no” I got from another girl previously.

Then one day, a seemingly super popular guy asked K out. She rejected him! It turned out, what seemed popular to many people, wasn’t to her.

Eventually I built up the courage to ask K out and to my happy surprise, she said yes. We dated for about a year and it was great. Today K and I are very close friends and so far, we’ve known each other for almost eight years. :-)

Make your move. If you get a “no”, sure, it might sting a bit - momentarily. But at least you won’t be busy wondering what if the answer was “yes”. At least you’ll know and with time, the fear of approaching someone you adore will go away.

Getting rejected by that special someone you like is not a dangerous thing. It doesn’t have to make you fearful. Redefine it!

2- Ride the Roller Coaster

Fear can have the power to cripple you - if you allow it to. It can also be a very powerful thing that motivates you. The secondary real key is not overcoming fear but utilizing it to your own advantage.

Have you ever been on a roller coaster? It’s scary seeing that thing twisting and turning. Worse still are the shouts and screams. Well, at least that’s how it was like the first time I went to ride one. I didn’t. Just before running to the queue I remembered an article I read about some guy who fell off one and died.

All the kids had fun that day. Some went on the roller coaster more than twice. All of them enjoyed it except me. I went back home feeling bitter and full of regret.

About two months later we went to the theme park again. I thought to myself, the probability of dying in a car accident is probably more than that of falling off the exciting joyride. And so on that unforgettable afternoon, I went on the roller coaster three times. In a row.

I did it because I was afraid… afraid of missing the fun.

Courtesy of Dr. Warner

Conclusion

Fear is not the problem. The things that trigger it are. Redefine them accordingly and change your perception of them. They’re not necessarily inherently dangerous. It’s you who makes them so and you can easily change that. You are in control. You are the kings, the queens, of your fears. Not the other way around.

It’s alright if you get afraid sometimes. Just make sure you do for the right reasons. Fear the missed opportunities. Fear them because you may never see them again. Use this to your own advantage and let it propel you towards your hopes and dreams. It’s all in your mind. You know you can do it.

Related:

• Pick The Brain: 7 Ways to Overcome the Fear of Failure
• ThinkSimpleNow: How To Fight Your Fears
• Urban Monk: Fear and Anxiety Cures

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And the Journey Begins…

It is with much humility and significant excitement that I begin the very first post of PassionBasedLearning.com – a blog which I hope will be of value to you. Before I share the story behind it, allow me first to answer a question that maybe on your mind.

Courtesy of paparutzi

So What Is “Passion-Based Learning”?

Passion-Based Learning is not an end in itself. It’s a process (and essentially a lifestyle). It’s a means to an end… an end which should ultimately make the world a better place in whatever way possible, big or small.

Passion-Based Learning is the girl who quit medical school after three tedious years and finally had the courage to pursue what her heart truly desired – music. She’s the journey of soul-searching, self-discovery and proactive initiative.

Passion-Based Learning is about aligning those things that strongly trigger your emotions – an ill child lacking clean drinking water, a murky lake polluted with toxic chemicals, a homeless old woman shivering in the harsh winter’s cold – with your goals and ambitions. She’s a course of action that is challenging yet satisfying and one which has a built-in enduring motivation.

She’s what you make of her.

My Story

So what’s my story? And more specifically what’s its relationship with this blog? Well, it began many years ago.

I spent most of my childhood in the oil-rich Arabian Peninsula. My education was in Arabic and kicking everyone’s butt at that game was my specialty. I was the top student in my class. Always, and I never scored less than 97% on any paper.

That all changed however when my family and I moved to a foreign land, to a new life. The transition was too drastic to bear. I was only 10 at the time.

Suddenly through no fault of my own I had to study in English, a language I neither spoke nor understood. My performance… shattered. My self-esteem and confidence… gone. And my soul… crushed.

I got my first taste of an “F” and no matter how much I tried, that cursed feeling never went away. It just kept coming back… again and again like a haunting nightmare. Every morning I stepped into school with that bag of books hanging on my bruised back, it was precisely that… a haunting nightmare.

For years, five to be precise, I wandered aimlessly. No passion. No sense of purpose. No motivation. I was badly broken and at one point even began having suicidal thoughts.

I thought it was my end but instead it was the beginning of something big – a Rebirth.

Strumming the six strings was my therapy but even that required persistence and determination to learn. My new guitar was my best friend and favorite instrument. I found peace and comfort in it. Eventually I’d also rediscover something I previously thought to be very lame. Personal development literature had a magical positive effect and slowly but surely I found my way back.

My passion for learning was re-ignited. Breathing became easier. Waking up in the morning wasn’t so bad anymore. Little by little, the pieces of my jigsaw puzzle began falling into place. The end-result is this basic personal philosophy I now live by and which I refer to as “passion-based learning.” It has done me wonders and I believe it may benefit you too in some way.

Ignite your fire. Think big. And start running. The sky is the limit my friend.

…

Sincerely,

Amir Ahmad A. Nasr