| "Formal education will make you a living but self | | | | Sadly, the last laugh is on us. We our not only |
| education will make you a fortune." | | | | stamping on our own dreams, but those of our |
| This was said by Jim Rohn, one of the top 50 | | | | children too. |
| motivational speakers in personal development | | | | When people reach adulthood, they start to give |
| and one of the trainers at the top online personal | | | | up their dreams and start to play small. Those |
| development site, Success University. | | | | huge, passionate dreams are adjusted to the |
| Formal education is never easy. When I was at | | | | mundanity of every day life, and gradually dwindle |
| school I wasn't really that bothered about | | | | to nothing more than a distant memory. |
| whether I got an A in Maths or History. I was too | | | | As this happens, our vision becomes smaller; our |
| worried about whether people liked me or not, | | | | lives become mediocre and boring. We focus only |
| where I could get the latest Rod Stewart photos | | | | on earning enough money to keep out of debt |
| or whether my skirt was the trendiest length. | | | | and paying the bills. We begin to suffer and |
| Yet, education seems to happen despite the | | | | wonder why we are not happy or fulfilled. |
| student. We come out with our varied grades and | | | | This is not how life is meant to be. |
| reports of "Could do better" (in my case), but | | | | Inside us is a huge potential: all our big dreams and |
| somehow we get some sort of an education. | | | | passions that we have tucked away in a dark little |
| Unfortunately, going to school is never the choice | | | | box. But this box is always waiting for us to |
| of the pupil, it is a requirement. In most Western | | | | re-discover and open it again. |
| countries it is the common consensus that you | | | | Inside this box is all the inspiration, power and joy |
| must go to school so you can get a job and earn | | | | of life; it's all there inside of you, waiting to get |
| a living. | | | | out. |
| Perhaps this is why many of us achieve only | | | | We are aware that it's there. There is that little |
| average results. We are not doing it out of love, | | | | niggling voice at the back of our minds that we |
| but because we have to. It's the law. | | | | are not living the life we wanted, but we allow |
| However, self-education has far more power | | | | ourselves to be influenced by our conditioning: "it's |
| because we only come to it through personal | | | | not possible, I can't do it, it's too big". So we stuff |
| choice. Because we have chosen it, we feel it is | | | | it down again and get on with our small lives, |
| our responsibility to take it on and achieve the | | | | excusing ourselves by saying, "Ah, well, it's OK I |
| results we want. This gives us self-motivation and | | | | suppose". |
| we are far more likely to succeed. | | | | Do you really want to live a "just OK" kind of life? |
| I know this is true because after a mediocre set | | | | When you pursue your dreams, you feel |
| of school grades, in later years I took a degree | | | | energised, full of inspiration and excitement. You |
| with the Open University - for no other reason | | | | also feel authentic. Perhaps, for the first time in |
| than because I wanted to - and I achieved a First | | | | your life you are living truthfully. This is an |
| Class Honours Degree in Humanities. I majored in | | | | incredibly powerful feeling. And the bigger your |
| history, which was a subject I wasn't even | | | | dreams, the more intense the feeling. |
| interested in at school. | | | | It may take courage to start with, but once you |
| Because it was my choice, and a subject I had | | | | have made that commitment a new world will |
| come to love through my own discovery, I was | | | | open up to you. All you have to do is to start |
| far more motivated to succeed. | | | | listening to yourself - allow that little voice to tell |
| Unfortunately, many people believe that once | | | | you what you need. Once you have done this, |
| they have finished their school education, there is | | | | you will start to develop the mindset that you |
| nothing more to learn. They get a job, and might | | | | possess all that you need to live the life of your |
| earn a comfortable living, but very rarely do they | | | | dreams. Your will power will strengthen, your |
| live the life of their dreams. | | | | confidence will grow - and then you will be ready |
| When we were very young children, before we | | | | to learn the strategies that will reinvent your life. |
| were old enough to allow ourselves to be limited, | | | | Self-education then becomes a powerful resource |
| our dreams were boundless. We talked about | | | | that you will come to with passion and a will to |
| what we are going to be or do when we are | | | | succeed. This is real learning. |
| grown-up without any doubt that it is possible. | | | | After that, making our dreams come true is only |
| Now we really are grown-up, we laugh at these | | | | a matter of time. |
| childish statements. We think we know better. | | | | |