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January 2009 
Everything Changes! How Change Impacts Us No.10
Posted on Aug 12th, 2008
by 
dannyboy
dannyboy
We've all heard that learning is a life-long process. Could that be because change is a life-long process? Have you ever stopped to think that all change requires us to learn something? Whether it's a change you've made or one you're required to make--some adjustment in your actions, routine or what you know happens as a result of change. In this segment we'll discuss the relationship between learning and change. In the process we may uncover another way that change can lead to feelings of discomfort.
Change Requires Learning
S: When we say new information takes time to become a part of our internal operating system, what we're describing is the learning process.
Q: For example, why do kids seem to pick-up things so much faster than adults?
A: Kids absorb new things easier because there's not a lot of information written on their internal operating system. In other words, they don't have enough experience to doubt themselves. They try new things because it never occurs to them they could fail. They accept new ideas because they don't have any data in their operating system to suggest that ideas can be invalid.
S: But as adults, we've learned, for example, you can't believe everything you hear! Things are not always as they appear! When someone says, 'try it, you'll like it.' We may have tried it and didn't like it! Or we know someone who tried it and didn't like it. Isn't that true? These experiences have taught us, in some cases, to be wary of accepting new ideas--or of trying new things.
S: As adults we tend to have more experience to draw on. Which means we can recall past experiences and use this former experience to evaluate new information or circumstances. And while this is good in one sense, it can also serve as a barrier to new learning.
S: Just as we have seen in our own example, any kind of change is likely to demand new learning. So the question becomes how can we temper our previous experience and allow new learning to take place?
Q: Can you think of some things you've learned as an adult? Someone give us an example.
Q: What do you think was the biggest factor helping you to learn? (whatever you learned)
A: One answer might be: you wanted to learn it. You were motivated. It was your choice.
Q: Were you good at what you learned right away? (Yes or No?)
A: Yeah, learning invariably takes time, there's a process involved. And it helps immensely if we are learning something that we chose--that we are internally motivated to learn.
S: Our perception of change means we are being confronted with a new or different situation. To move forward implies learning about this new situation. However, change is frequently the result of events not of our choosing. Under these conditions we become reluctant learners--not really motivated to change or move forward.
Q: Why move forward?
A: One answer might be it's the only healthy option open to us. The alternative--not moving forward--undermines our health and well-being. Remember, to change is to learn, and to learn is what causes forward movement. But perhaps the best reason is from an expanded view: to move forward aligns us with the purpose of the universe.
S: Yet, none of these answers gets to the real reason that learning proves so difficult.
S: As we mentioned above, learning new things involves a process--a period of time when we are trying to grasp a concept or develop a new skill. We feel as though we're struggling--our experience is one of discomfort. We are struggling to reach a place of outer competence, while dealing with a lack of inner confidence. Unless we can tap into a source that resolves our struggle, we are not likely to endure the discomfort the learning process imparts.
Key Concept: To change is to learn. The action associated with the learning process opens the door to new possibilities.
S: What triggers our perception of change is the awareness that an external event is somehow in conflict with our internal operating system. It might involve a change to our routine, a new idea that runs contrary to our existing beliefs, or a new system that we know nothing about. Yet, every one of these scenarios calls for learning something new. We can partially ease the experience of change simply by recognizing that change requires learning. Further, that most learning involves a period of struggle and produces a sense of discomfort. Mitigating some of the discomfort may come from identifying a purpose that's strong enough to pull us through the ambiguous period. If we can sustain ourselves through the learning process the reward is new competence, renewed self-confidence, and the sense that we're growing and moving forward.
Summary: How Change Impacts Us
S: In this portion of the course we wanted to convey the understanding that our perception of change involves an interaction with our internal operating system. For most of us, our awareness of the internal operating system extends only to a naturally occurring response to our outer environment. Our internal operating system responds to the conditions it senses by recalling thoughts relevant to the circumstances. We discovered, for instance, that calling up our beliefs often requires a context. We learned that our actions are preceded by thoughts. That thought can be seen as the original action that precedes all subsequent actions. We demonstrated that even emotions are products of our thoughts. We used a case study to show how our internal operating system reacts to change and produces emotions that with a little introspection can be traced back to our thoughts. And went on to show how our thoughts result in a continuous cycle of inner and outer actions. Finally, we looked at learning as an integral function of change, and how the struggle and discomfort in learning often limits the desire to change. And yet, all new learning represents the doorway to new possibilities and the potential for further growth and development.
Note to reader: Thanks for reading! This series of blogs begins with Everything Changes! Fundamental Principles of Change No.1. In our next segment we start part three beginning with a more in-depth look at the internal operating system's conditioned response to change…look for it in the next few days. As always I would be delighted to have you share your comments or ask any questions you may have.
Copyright 2008. The information here is reproduced from Everything Changes! Understanding and Dealing with the Change in our Lives. It is provided for personal use. You are welcome to share it with your friends. Otherwise the material may not be reproduced, copied or used in any other way without written permission from the author, Dan Richardson.
Change Requires Learning
S: When we say new information takes time to become a part of our internal operating system, what we're describing is the learning process.
Q: For example, why do kids seem to pick-up things so much faster than adults?
A: Kids absorb new things easier because there's not a lot of information written on their internal operating system. In other words, they don't have enough experience to doubt themselves. They try new things because it never occurs to them they could fail. They accept new ideas because they don't have any data in their operating system to suggest that ideas can be invalid.
S: But as adults, we've learned, for example, you can't believe everything you hear! Things are not always as they appear! When someone says, 'try it, you'll like it.' We may have tried it and didn't like it! Or we know someone who tried it and didn't like it. Isn't that true? These experiences have taught us, in some cases, to be wary of accepting new ideas--or of trying new things.
S: As adults we tend to have more experience to draw on. Which means we can recall past experiences and use this former experience to evaluate new information or circumstances. And while this is good in one sense, it can also serve as a barrier to new learning.
S: Just as we have seen in our own example, any kind of change is likely to demand new learning. So the question becomes how can we temper our previous experience and allow new learning to take place?
Q: Can you think of some things you've learned as an adult? Someone give us an example.
Q: What do you think was the biggest factor helping you to learn? (whatever you learned)
A: One answer might be: you wanted to learn it. You were motivated. It was your choice.
Q: Were you good at what you learned right away? (Yes or No?)
A: Yeah, learning invariably takes time, there's a process involved. And it helps immensely if we are learning something that we chose--that we are internally motivated to learn.
S: Our perception of change means we are being confronted with a new or different situation. To move forward implies learning about this new situation. However, change is frequently the result of events not of our choosing. Under these conditions we become reluctant learners--not really motivated to change or move forward.
Q: Why move forward?
A: One answer might be it's the only healthy option open to us. The alternative--not moving forward--undermines our health and well-being. Remember, to change is to learn, and to learn is what causes forward movement. But perhaps the best reason is from an expanded view: to move forward aligns us with the purpose of the universe.
S: Yet, none of these answers gets to the real reason that learning proves so difficult.
S: As we mentioned above, learning new things involves a process--a period of time when we are trying to grasp a concept or develop a new skill. We feel as though we're struggling--our experience is one of discomfort. We are struggling to reach a place of outer competence, while dealing with a lack of inner confidence. Unless we can tap into a source that resolves our struggle, we are not likely to endure the discomfort the learning process imparts.
Key Concept: To change is to learn. The action associated with the learning process opens the door to new possibilities.
S: What triggers our perception of change is the awareness that an external event is somehow in conflict with our internal operating system. It might involve a change to our routine, a new idea that runs contrary to our existing beliefs, or a new system that we know nothing about. Yet, every one of these scenarios calls for learning something new. We can partially ease the experience of change simply by recognizing that change requires learning. Further, that most learning involves a period of struggle and produces a sense of discomfort. Mitigating some of the discomfort may come from identifying a purpose that's strong enough to pull us through the ambiguous period. If we can sustain ourselves through the learning process the reward is new competence, renewed self-confidence, and the sense that we're growing and moving forward.
Summary: How Change Impacts Us
S: In this portion of the course we wanted to convey the understanding that our perception of change involves an interaction with our internal operating system. For most of us, our awareness of the internal operating system extends only to a naturally occurring response to our outer environment. Our internal operating system responds to the conditions it senses by recalling thoughts relevant to the circumstances. We discovered, for instance, that calling up our beliefs often requires a context. We learned that our actions are preceded by thoughts. That thought can be seen as the original action that precedes all subsequent actions. We demonstrated that even emotions are products of our thoughts. We used a case study to show how our internal operating system reacts to change and produces emotions that with a little introspection can be traced back to our thoughts. And went on to show how our thoughts result in a continuous cycle of inner and outer actions. Finally, we looked at learning as an integral function of change, and how the struggle and discomfort in learning often limits the desire to change. And yet, all new learning represents the doorway to new possibilities and the potential for further growth and development.
Note to reader: Thanks for reading! This series of blogs begins with Everything Changes! Fundamental Principles of Change No.1. In our next segment we start part three beginning with a more in-depth look at the internal operating system's conditioned response to change…look for it in the next few days. As always I would be delighted to have you share your comments or ask any questions you may have.
Copyright 2008. The information here is reproduced from Everything Changes! Understanding and Dealing with the Change in our Lives. It is provided for personal use. You are welcome to share it with your friends. Otherwise the material may not be reproduced, copied or used in any other way without written permission from the author, Dan Richardson.
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