Never Stop Learning with Continuing Education Courses

Has anyone ever told you that they are too old to go back to school and pursue continuing education? If so, you can tell them that they are full of baloney! A 93 year-young woman was recently in the news for finally graduating from college. She never gave up on her dream of continuing education and eventually succeeded in her goal, even though it took almost eighty years to do it.

When interviewed by the media, she said that she was even thinking about going to graduate school (at 94 years old!) to earn her Master’s Degree in education.

We are never too old to learn something new. Learning does not have to stop once we graduate high school or college: it should keep going until we move on from this life. If we do not use it, we lose it. That is the case for our brain as well. Pursue continuing education and find that you have the capacity to learn something new each day.

So, if you are ready to get starting on your continuing education path, start now. Even if you have to start slow, that is better than doing nothing and letting your brain go to mush. Search on online for courses that interest you. They can be ones that require very little of your time, money and energy. However, if it will get you interested in learning, it will be worth it.

Or, you can call your local college or university to find out more about the selection of continuing education courses they offer each month. Most colleges have a vast selection of programs that you can choose from that will interest you and provide you with the educational stimulation your brain craves. You can even learn a new hobby like writing, genealogy or painting!

You can even go all out and pursue your continuing education degree. Colleges have many flexible degree options these days: from online courses to evening classes to classes that meet on the weekends. If you can dream it, there is probably an Associates, Bachelors or Master’s degree program that will fit into your schedule and lifestyle.

So, get up and get started today. There are no more excuses and once you get started, you will find that education can be an amazing thing and that you have so much more potential and intelligence than you ever thought possible.

Make the first step by calling a friend or relative and tell them of your plans. If you tell someone else, they can make you accountable and make sure you follow through with your plans. You cannot have excuses if they won’t let you off the hook.

Believe it; you will thank them in the end. You will forget what your life was like without constant education and coursework. And your life will be happier and richer because of continuing education.

A Fun Way to Keep Your Mind Active After Retirement

You have been a hard and dedicated worker your whole life. You worked with for your family on the farm or in business or in your trade. In fact, you have worked for so long that it is all you have really known.

You have dreamed of the day when you could hang up your working boots and retire to a life of leisure and possibly travel the world with your spouse. However, you have been retired for a while now and the travelling thing is fun, but getting old.  You still have energy and cannot see yourself sitting around the house just watching soap operas and fishing shows all day.

In short, you want mental stimulation and you would really like to meet new people while you are at it. How can you do that without taking up gambling, going to MacDonald’s or Starbucks or the community center, and playing bridge every day? Well, one of the best ways to do that is by signing up for some continuing education classes.

Continuing education classes can help keep your mind sharp and help you learn a new hobby or subject all the while meeting new people who share the same interests. Most community colleges, recreation centers and universities offer a wide variety of continuing education courses throughout the year.

The easiest way to find these classes is to call up or go online to the website of your local colleges and recreation centers to find out more about their upcoming class offerings and how you can register. For example, you can take a class to learn how to make jewelry, learn how to sew or knit, learn how to throw pottery or write the next great American novel.

Or, you can take more of an education type course like a Spanish language class or a literature course. The choices are only limited by your imagination and drive to learn.

The best part, you will probably find like-minded people in your courses. More than likely, they are probably in the same boat as you and are looking for a way to occupy their time in retirement. You could form a friendship with these people and build new relationships. And who does not like having a lot of friends and acquaintances?

The most important thing, it helps you continue to feel like you are doing something productive. You have spent the majority of your life doing things for others: your parents, your spouse, your children and your employers. Now it is your time to take up a hobby that you have always wanted to try but did not have the time for. Why not! You have worked hard your whole life and completely deserve this time.

So, pick up the phone or go online and find out more about the upcoming courses in your area. By this time next week, you could be creating the next blockbuster novel or painting a masterpiece that will eventually land in a famous museum. If you dream it, it is possible and continuing education can be the missing piece to make that happen.

Massive change starts small

Avalanches landslides, fires, mudslides or floods are very scary if you have witnessed one or have seen one close up you know that they can be life-changing. All of these massive events can start out as massive events, but more than likely they start out as small perhaps even insignificant events. A fire can start with a tossed match or a massive lightning strike; a mudslide can start with a pebble or a cliff giving way; an avalanche can start with a snowball or a side of a cliff dropping suddenly. 

No matter how they start, they can grow into massive life-threatening or life-changing events. It is the same for any action you take, any small step or decision you make can lead to massive action on massive dreams even amidst massive uncertainties.  You know this is is pretty much where anyone who's ever done anything massive had to start. The problem is not the massive action, it is the starting of the action that causes us so much pain and uncertainty. Once we start, things just get way easier as we get caught up riding the massive event we started. The key is to be on top of the action, not caught up in the action. For that to happen requires courage, strength, planning and good luck. 

Grocery Shopping has changed.

I noticed the other day when I was out getting a few groceries that the isles were full of staff members filling up bags. The bags were in a large cart and there were three levels. I noticed but did not think about it until today. I was in the grocery store and as I turned the corner I was almost hit by one of the carts. Lucky for me that the lady steering the cart was quick and she stopped. I apologized as I was the one not paying attention. 

I then said that it looked like the store was getting a lot of online shoppers. She said yes, and went on to explain that her store did not charge for the pickup, whereas all of the other competitors charged for the picking. She said, "Phone us, give us your list, your brand preferences if any, and then we pick it up and you come to the store and pick it up." She added, "If you wanted it delivered there was a nominal  charge." 

I asked if this was new and she said, "This area of shopping has picked up in the last few months, and she was glad as it kept her working and out of trouble." I laughed and continued my shopping. But I got to thinking that grocery shopping has changed for many.

One of the concerns that many seniors have is losing the ability to stay in your own home because they cannot get out to do the chores, see the doctor, or shop for groceries. Modern businesses are meeting the need of people who cannot get out, or who do not have the time to spend shopping.  It appears the millennials and Gen Xers are leading the charge in the use of this convenience, but I think Boomers will start to use this to help them.

According to the latest data from Prosper Insights & Analytics’ November 2016 survey, 7.7% of U.S. consumers shopped for groceries online in the past 30 days, up from 5.7% two years ago. Not surprisingly, younger generations are driving the uptick. One in ten millennials and Gen Xers did online grocery shopping in 2016, up from 8.4% and 6.8% respectively in 2014.

The “convenience” of online shopping and grocery delivery means different things to different people. For some in crowded urban areas, getting to and from the grocery store may be a transportation issue. For busy working parents, grocery shopping may be a time issue. Others may just dislike grocery shopping and do anything to avoid the store.

While Wal-Mart and Amazon will continue to fight it out on the national level, the store I was in was a large regional supermarket. The management of this chain clearly see the trend and are starting to make their mark in the areas they are competitive. the frontrunners and will continue battling it out in the online space.

It is nice to see a Regional competitor that is local to my area not sit idly on the sidelines and developing an integrated and seamless multi-channel shopping experience that will benefit the store, and the consumers in my area.