Do you feel stuck in a rut? If so, practicing lifelong learning can help reset your mind and get you inspired for the year ahead. Angela Buttimer, MS, NCC, RYT, LPC, a licensed psychotherapist at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont, has seen this mindset shift in participants of her class "Blessings Abound," in which she shares teachings from thought leaders throughout the world.
"It's a positive, contemplative class that allows us to learn from different perspectives and then dialogue about it," says Buttimer. “My goal is to bring thought leaders to the table who present ideas in a different way that you wouldn't normally be exposed to. We don’t always agree with the content presented, but we look at the positive possibilities."
The goal of the class is to inspire learning that promotes mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health. The class also discusses existential questions like:
- What if the entire universe is conspiring to bless me?
- What is my purpose?
- Why am I here?
- What is meaningful to me?
- Is what I’m doing with my life making me happy?
"One blessing is seeing life from a new perspective,” she says. “It’s easy to get caught up in negativity or what’s going wrong. Asking these questions helps people consider that we live in a universe of blessings if we look for them."
How to shift your mindset and get out of a rut
"The class explores how to be more open-minded, build resilience and frame life more positively," Buttimer says. "To do this, you must be willing to explore. You can find so many positive resources presenting perspectives you’re not exposed to in your day-to-day life."
She says being a lifelong learner, being curious and considering different points of view keeps you vibrant, youthful and healthy.
"Lifelong learning broadens your horizons and perspective of life so you can snap out of complacent ruts that are easy to get into as adults," she says.
To elevate your mindset and get out of a rut, pick a topic that interests you and gets you outside your comfort zone. There are many learning resources to explore, such as:
- Podcasts
- Books
- YouTube videos
- In-person or virtual workshops, courses and masterminds
- Social media posts
"If we're seeking health and wisdom, we have to be deliberate and intentional," says Buttimer. "It's when we get complacent that we miss a lot of the blessings that are all around us."
The benefits of consuming positive educational content
"We have so much negativity coming toward us, so it's important to look for a positive perspective," says Buttimer. "Consuming positive content and information can give you inspiration, motivation and positive feelings about yourself and others. Doing so can help you be your best mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually."
Learn more ways to reduce stress and improve your well-being.