throughout my life i have been told, education doesn’t stop when you finish school.  it doesn’t stop after high school, after college or after you finish training for your new job.  education is continual and it can come from the most unique places.

i love to learn.  i don’t necessarilylove classes, homework, tests and projects, but i love the process of learning.  i love coming out the other end of something and realizing how much i have grown whether it is my skill set, mental capacity, familiarity and usability of something or who knows what else.

some people look at my job and wonder why i’m still working for papa.  they think i’m at a dead-end job that doesn’t nearly allow me to recognize my potential or utilize all that i have learned throughout my years and years and (feels like) years of education.

but, to those people, i say, you are SO wrong.  one of my conditions to myself and papa in coming back to work for coldair was that i had the ability to learn, grow and further the company.  there wasn’t anything specifically defined in that condition, other than social media, but it has turned into more than i imagined.

i have learned so much about social networking channels, social media and marketing on those channels, i have learned much more about the business, i have taken on the responsibility of our public image and getting our customers to keep loving us and telling their friends about us.

i have learned SO much about PDFs, i mean, it may be silly…but i have!  i’ve learned how to make notes on a pdf document, how to highlight, how to add text on a form and so so much more.  i’ve learned that this printer actually prints doubled sided!!!  {silly, maybe but means SO much to me who gets sad over my paper use}

since returning, i have gone through the ENTIRE process of taking this business from a sole proprietorship and turning it into a corporation.  we thought it was a simple process with nothing more than a few signatures and a hefty fee…but it wasn’t.  not even close.

i have continued doing sales tax for the company and employee tax but i’ve also taken on my parent’s personal income tax AND the business taxes.  now THAT i quite a big box to carry on your shoulders…have you ever done business taxes?

we built a new website and i’m learning how to start building websites myself so we don’t have to keep hiring it out.  i’m writing business blogs and {as evidenced here} trying to get back into writing blogs myself.

the growing, learning and new experiences i’ve had at work have been pretty incredible.  where else could i learn the ins and outs of owning and expanding a small business?  i am able to wear so many different hats and CHOOSE which hats i want to spend what amount of time on.  perhaps the best part is deciding when i want to add a hat to my collection and thus to the business.

for example, tomorrow my hat will be green.  as i make the most out my office being occupied by another, i will instead focus my energies on gardening.  see, i have this incredible opportunity to work, make money and do things for my parents at the same time.  they don’t have time to pull the weeds and replant flowers in their garden, but i’ve been afforded the time in a stream of circumstances.  so, i can work and garden and help them out at the same time.  the learning part?  i have never gardened.  i’m pretty comfortable with saying i have never really pulled weeds or planted flowers {unless you count elementary school when we planted seeds in those red dixie cups….or middle school when my science project focused on the difference of watering/light and i grew bean plants of some sort}.  but real gardening, never done it.  how will it help my future?  well, i am buying a house, in a subdivision with a pretty strict HOA when it comes to what your yard looks like.  it seems like a good time to learn to me.

i’ve also learned all about the home buying process, the lending process and exactly what it takes to buy a house {exhausting}.

and something i’ve been fortunate enough to do is teach others.  i’ve started classes at a local place to teach others how to grow their business using social media, websites, blogs and email marketing.  how cool is that?

in my personal life, i’ve also been learning so much on a spiritual side.  mom and i found an amazing local metaphysical facility that really is incredible.  i have learned so much about different healing modalities and really been able to reach within and find out some pretty incredible truths about myself {even if i’m still ignoring some/most/all of them}.  i’ve taken classes, participated in sessions and worked a lot on myself.  i feel like i’ve found something that really resonates with me.  pretty cool.

my next turn at learning is helping to organize a large adopt-a-pet and family pet event at lightworker’s sanctuary (the cool metaphysical place i’m teaching classes and spiritually growing at).  i’m sure there will be a blog or two as i go through this next learning process.

so its your turn.  how are you learning?  how are you growing?  think about it…what experiences are you going through every day that is teaching you and educating you for the future?