The Joy of Learning

I find there are two types of enjoyment in pursuing our hobbies: one in practising a skill you master, one in skills you're learning.

I started learning bachata. The other day, a friend who's taking classes in a few dances was describing how her tango classes were just so delicious: she’s already good in tango and can really savor the actual dance.

I knew what she meant. As a beginner, I don’t feel like I am actually dancing — I’m just focusing on trying to get my steps right!

It made me think of last winter on the ski slopes. I was already a decent snowboarder, so I wanted to learn how to ski. I’m a sucker for learning — be it languages, sports, skills or whole new ways of being. Maybe I just love sucking at things! 😁

Compared to snowboarding, skiing felt refreshing, new, exciting, challenging, thrilling! It’s always thrilling to feel like you might die speeding downhill, not quite sure what you’re doing! 🤣 I welcomed the new sensations, the challenge to master a skill, to improve and to “get it” on an embodied level. I appreciated the opportunity to train my muscle memory in a new way.

Then I would go snowboarding to switch it up. And I loved it! I loved feeling that I didn’t suck for a change! I loved knowing what I was doing. I loved experiencing mastery. I loved speeding downhill knowing I was in control as I was becoming one with the wind. I loved feeling in flow — when you get so good at something, you don’t have to constantly actively think about every movement of every part of your body; you get into flow states and you just become one with the elements, one with your equipment, one with the speed, one with movement itself.

Then I’d go skiing again and I’d fall in love with the process of learning again. Then I’d go snowboarding and enjoy the love of mastery again!

Learning bachata has been frustrating: it’s like you know yourself to be able to do something with ease and grace (dance) but then you find yourself trying to move in a certain way and seeing your body fail terribly at coordinating, trying over and over again but feeling like you just can’t get it!

Oh the joy of learning!

Learning new things is certainly healthy for the ego! And it's also so fun and rewarding!

To be continued!