I was driving home from work (it is apparent that most of my thinking occurs while driving) and an interesting topic came to mind. Education, in all of its many diverse forms, improves your quality of life. In elementary school you learn the basics and fundamentals of life that you will always use. In junior high you learn what not to do in life. In high school you learn what you are capable of accomplishing. In college you put all of the different educations together to create the final product - your future.
Although all of these forms of education have a place in today's society and produce many of today's greatest leaders, thinkers, and motivators there is a very vital form of education that no one ever really considers: life.
Life is the biggest education that you will ever receive. It is through life that the other forms of education are even possible. At one point you had to decide to change your situation and go to school to gain a greater knowledge. At one point you had to go and get a job to support yourself and others that you love. At one point you chose to succeed.
The realization of all these points came from the education that life brings. When you decided to change your situation and gain a greater knowledge you more than likely were finally mentally broken. You were tired of getting no where, feeling insignificant, feeling worthless, and feeling like there was no better life in store for you. Why did you feel this way? What led you to believe this? The answer is that life taught you this particular lesson of self-worth. You were forced to learn and come to the realization that people require an education and foundation for higher paying careers. You were forced to realize that the opposite sex desires an intelligent, independent, and successful (whether mentally, temporal, or both) person to live and share their life with.
When did you decide to get a job? Wasn't it because you wanted that certain something? Wasn't it because you wanted to buy your girlfriend or boyfriend something nice? Wasn't it because you needed gas to get around? Later on in life the reasons went from small objects of desire to a means of survival and acceptance. Now you have a job to pay your rent, support your family, pay the essential bills for living. Why, however, did you decide to do all of this? Technically speaking, you can live by meeting the most basic needs...but life has taught you that a career is essential for living, creating a better lifestyle and ultimately maintaining a happier mindset.
Life teaches each of us how to live and survive. Hundreds of years ago day-to-day living taught people how to hunt, communicate, and survive the conditions of their ever-changing environment. Today is no different. Although technology and what is considered socially acceptable have both changed, the principle remains. Life has taught us how to survive.
Everyone has always stated that education brings forth a better lifestyle. They were always talking about education in terms of learning from teachers and text books. In all reality, that form of education does bring a better life. The greatest lesson of all, the greatest teacher, and the greatest education possible, however, is the education that day-to-day living brings. When put in these terms, the title of this entry brings a more literal and insightful meaning to surface. Life itself is an education and that education will bring forth a better life.
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