Author: Swersky

Intense emotions, both positive and negative, affect everybody from time to time. And while some say they’d rather be without them, emotions are important and opportunities to practice skills that support our personal growth and development. It’s unchecked emotions that can become destructive and debilitating.

This is where emotional intelligence (or EI) and its importance comes in. It’s not only critical for adults to possess it when approaching the explosive behavior of others, but it’s also essential for children to develop the life skills to handle these feelings healthily.

Danny Swersky says that bringing this to the classroom and developing emotional intelligence is key to unlocking resilient, empowered, and empathic young people.

Understanding EI and Resilience

EI encompasses five major areas — self-motivation, self-awareness, emotional control, relationship skills, and empathy. In other words, it’s a person’s capacity to recognize, deal with, and express feelings and their ability to interpret, understand, and respond to others’ emotions.

Essentially, it builds a solid foundation for tackling everyday life with creativity, patience, and insight, while helping navigate personal relationships with grace and empathy. As such, it’s perhaps the most important lesson children can learn.

In fact, Dr. Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, stated that EI is a critical factor of people’s resilience during adverse situations. During the same 2016 interview, he goes on to say that those who are self-aware, empathetic, and socially adept can survive and thrive during and after crises because they harbor the relational/social skills required to handle unfortunate circumstances. And that is resilience at its finest.

EI vs EQ

Sometimes, EI and EQ are used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same.

EI, meaning emotional intelligence is as described above. EQ, on the other hand, stands for emotional quotient, which is the level/amount of emotional intelligence a person has.

It’s people’s EQ level that determines how well they will navigate interpersonal relationships. Those with high EQs are more likely to stand the test of crises and foster healthy companionships with others.

Bringing Emotional Intelligence Development to The Classroom

Decades of research has shown that people with high emotional intelligence are more likely to succeed, and there’s an increasing body of work that suggests individuals’ EQ is more important than their IQ (Dr. Daniel Goleman’s research being one of the most famous).

And teachers can bring the emotional framework necessary to help pupils feel more secure to their classroom in a number of ways, including:

• Vocabulary for feelings — Interpersonal skills are enhanced by students widening their emotion vocabulary. To do this, teachers can encourage students to understand the subtle differences between words like sad, upset, and disappointed so they can develop strategies to handle each one.
• Metacognitive strategies — This involves developing self-awareness by asking self-reflective questions or utilizing a communication self-evaluation worksheet.
• Perspective-taking — Pupils should be encouraged to reflect others’ perspectives back to them to increase the likelihood of effective collaboration and support.

In a constantly evolving world, the pursuit of knowledge extends far beyond the classroom walls. Lifelong education, a concept that was once associated only with formal academic institutions, has now emerged as a dynamic pathway to something more profound: personal fulfillment.

Imagine living a life where every moment is infused with a sense of purpose, where each skill learned or ordeal conquered only adds to a bank of beautiful experiences. This is the synergy between lifelong education and personal fulfillment – a connection that not only enriches the mind but also nourishes the soul.

Daniel Swersky delves deeper and discovers the beauty of lifelong education, its benefits, and how to find fulfillment and purpose through it.

Lifelong Learning

Lifelong Learning is a continuous and self-motivated type of learning that is focused on personal development.

While lifelong education does not really have a standardized definition, it generally refers to learning that occurs outside of school, corporate training, or any formal education institute. It can be formal or informal – whether it’s pursuing an interest, a passion, or a professional ambition, as long as it’s voluntary and with the purpose of achieving personal fulfillment.

Key aspects for lifelong learning:

• Voluntary
• Self-initiated
• Self-taught
• Motivation is for personal development
• Often informal in nature
• Often does not require a cost

Examples of lifelong learning initiatives:

• Skill Enhancement: Developing a new skill such as baking, driving, crocheting, photography, or public speaking.
• Independent Study: Trying a self-taught approach like learning a foreign language, subscribing to a podcast, or researching a topic of interest.
• Physical Pursuits: Improving physical fitness like going to the gym, practicing yoga, learning to ski, or joining martial arts.
• Technological Exploration: Staying up to date with the latest technology by engaging in online courses, workshops, and webinars that cover emerging technologies, trends, and best practices.
• Knowledge Acquisition: Taking a self-interest course, either online or in a classroom.

From Knowledge to Fulfillment: The Benefits of Lifelong Education

Could lifelong learning be the key to a happier life?

Incorporating lifelong education into one’s life can offer plenty of long-term benefits, including:

Self-Rediscovery

Always wanted to learn how to cook but never had the time? Have unopened books at home for a while but life got busy?

Re-igniting old interests can be incredibly rewarding and can reshape one’s personal growth. Indulging a passion and working on an “unfinished business” can lead to self-satisfaction and self-fulfillment.

Improved Self-Confidence

Learning a new skill or becoming more knowledgeable about something helps increase one’s self-confidence in both their personal and professional life. This confidence can come from a sense of accomplishment after devoting tremendous time and effort to the learning process.

Professionally, having the ability to apply the newly acquired knowledge or skill at work can boost one’s confidence immediately.

Personal Health

Keeping one’s brain stimulated through continuous learning can help offset mental decline, improve memory, and even ward off diseases like dementia, especially in older adults. Social interaction greatly helps, too.

“Continuing to learn over a lifetime may help protect the brain, which is true even for people who have lower scores on cognitive tests in childhood.”, according to a 2022 study by the American Academy of Neurology.

Finding Fulfillment and Purpose Through Lifelong Education

The biggest benefit of lifelong education?

Discovering one’s purpose and finding fulfillment.

It’s about a balance that enriches one’s life significantly, similar to the Japanese concept of Ikigai with the term roughly translating to “the reason for being”. Ikigai is a lifestyle that aims to balance the practical and the spiritual. It is essentially an intersection between one’s passion and what the world needs.

A sense of fulfillment through education ultimately leads to a happier, more purposeful life, no matter one’s age.

A formal education is integral to success in today’s modern workforce. While not every position requires a master’s degree or doctorate, many if not most expect potential employees to have received a bachelor’s degree and/or a specialized certificate program, depending on the vocation.

But one can also build up a skillset, expand a worldview, and make new connections through self-directed learning. In self-directed learning, individuals identify a need for further improvement, research sources for learning, and pursues the subject on one’s own time, rather than completing a specified course within a traditional institutional structure.

Daniel Swersky explores how to balance formal education with self-directed learning for greater personal development.

Set Priorities and Goals

To utilize time efficiently, a person should establish distinct objectives and priorities. Are there specific skill sets one aims to cultivate, driven by a particular motive? For instance, is the goal to master UX Design to augment a website building side venture?

Alternatively, is it to foster creativity or expand general knowledge on a subject? It is essential to ascertain whether there exists a set deadline for achieving these learning ambitions. Consider potential upcoming projects, both personal and professional, that may demand a more robust skill repertoire. This precision in approach facilitates informed decision-making and propels effective action.

Create and Maintain a Clear and Consistent Schedule

Self-directed learning happens on a person’s own time rather than an institutional schedule, so there is little to no outside accountability. If not careful, individuals could fall behind or not practice consistently enough to see a noticeable improvement. That’s why it’s important to create a clear and consistent schedule and stick to it. Set a goal of a certain number of minutes or hours per day or per week for studying, perhaps at a certain time of day.

Seek Out Resources and Guidance

Once an individual has chosen a subject and a timeframe, do some research online to see what resources are available – books, study guides, websites, online courses, etc. Mentors can provide crucial guidance and feedback, letting a person know what resources are best, providing an expert opinion on progress. And a coach can also help discover further opportunities tied to the specific course of study that might not have been considered otherwise!

Integrate Self-Directed Learning into Formal Education

Integrated self-directed learning into a formal education will ensure the person becomes a more dynamic learner, and with knowledge uniquely tied to individual goals and personal interests – this added training can be empowering. Speaking to professors, peers, and professionals in the formal field of study can lead people on a path toward more self-directed learning in a niche area of interest that can complement certain institutional degrees.

Always Reflect and Evaluate

It is crucial to have period self-check-ins to see if study habits are going well and comprehension seems to be improving. Most importantly, take time to evaluate if you are truly enjoying your learning! We learn best when we are genuinely interested and engaged in a topic, and there is no shame in changing course if a subject is not interesting.

In Conclusion

Integrated self-directed learning into a formal education can lead to a more balanced, engaged, and empowered academic and professional life.

Volunteering can play a significant role in the growth of students. From taking students outside the classroom setting with textbooks and exams, students can apply their learnings in a real-life environment.
The impact volunteering can have on an individual is remarkably profound. In the following article, Daniel Swersky discusses the benefits of volunteering, and why students should participate in it.

Exploring Career Paths

Volunteering is an exceptional way for students to get exposure to a field or industry they are curious about. By being exposed to the real-life setting of a certain job or career, students can see firsthand if that career choice is right for them.

This experience is most relevant for students who are just beginning their journeys in higher education. The volunteer experience alone can help to define or deter them from a certain field of study, not only helping them save time and money but also providing them with confidence in making decisions about their career path.

Increase Awareness of Social Issues

Volunteering not only helps students gain job experience, but also increases their involvement in activism and social issues. In Amplifying Student Learning through Volunteering, researchers discovered that volunteering was an important way to increase civic responsibility in students.

In a study regarding literary inequity, volunteers participated in a community literacy festival and discovered firsthand the impact of the program in bridging literacy inequity in the community. From simply volunteering for this event, researchers discovered that volunteers had gained an increased awareness of literary inequity and developed strong potential in becoming advocates for such programs in their future careers.

Increase Mental Well-Being

Volunteering can also have a positive impact on mental health. In a study by the National Library of Medicine, researchers discovered that participation in voluntary services positively impacts mental and physical health in ways such as a higher sense of life satisfaction, self-esteem, and happiness.
In the simple act of altruism, an individual’s brain releases serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins – chemicals that are all related to happiness. This shows that by helping out others, individuals can directly feel the emotional impact in themselves.

Gaining a Head Start in the Job Market

For students nearing graduation, finding a job can be difficult without prior work experience. In addition to being a top student, employers may look for extracurricular activities to evaluate a candidate.

Through volunteering, students can make their resume stand out. By being a volunteer, individuals are exposed to real-life situations and can actively work on skills such as problem-solving, leadership, and communication.

Additionally, these students are also exposed to a greater number of professionals and may be able to leverage this connection for future opportunities, professional references, and recommendations.

In Conclusion

There’s no doubt that volunteering is a win-win relationship for organizations and individuals. With an abundance of volunteer opportunities year-round, individuals can search for social causes they would like to support and see the ways they can volunteer.

To witness the impact of such efforts, the next step is simply to volunteer.

Opened over 40 years ago, the Soup Kitchen of Boynton Beach, Florida, now serves upwards of 1,000 meals a day.

This group has taken to the road for its Soup Kitchen Meals on Wheels program, providing household supplies to immigrants, refugees, and migrant workers as well as offering infant care assistance with its Taking Care of Babies program.

For an often overlooked part of Boynton Beach’s population, the Soup Kitchen is one of the few places that residents in need can rely on to make ends meet. Over 100 years ago, the Great Depression directly correlated with the rise of soup kitchens in the United States.

Today, Daniel Swersky explains that soup kitchens are still here to serve the same purpose — making sure individuals and families have access not just to what they need, but what they deserve.

And it’s because of its hundreds of volunteers that Boynton Beach’s Soup Kitchen will likely remain open for decades to come.

A Soup Kitchen’s Big Benefits

America may still be the richest country in the world, but more than 34 million residents cope with hunger every day. This includes 1 out of every 8 children.

This is who thousands of soup kitchens, shelters, and food pantries work to assist in small communities and big cities across America. It’s the volunteers and donors who keep them afloat and step up to help their community.

While the majority of soup kitchens stress their mission of helping the homeless, soup kitchens have grown to offer so much more.

The Atlanta Mission opened during the Great Depression and still provides hot meals to this day. In the 1960s, it became the first organization to focus on the unique needs of homeless women. It now provides addiction recovery, shelter, counseling, assistance with finding jobs, educational services, and spiritual guidance.

In 2022 alone, the Atlanta Mission served over 562,000 meals, lead nearly 2,000 life skills classes, and provided 187,000 nights spent with a real bed to sleep in.

Evolving Needs

Despite the growing epidemic of food insecurity in the U.S. and constant struggles to secure funding, soup kitchens have never given up. Instead, their impact is immediately felt during new challenges.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shed a bright light on the pivotal role of soup kitchens. The 11% rate of food insecurity in the United States was unchanged during the first year of the pandemic, a reflection of how soup kitchens can still make a difference even when the need grows.

By the end of the year, 92 million boxes of food were given to food banks, charitable organizations, and soup kitchens through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box program.

Transformations

For the millions who use them, soup kitchens are often the only place they can find food for that day.

Besides a good meal, soup kitchens lift up entire communities in immeasurable ways. They often help with job training and offer toys and books to children. Hungry and homeless children are far more likely to develop illness, depression, and behavioral issues, but soup kitchens diminish these risks.

At the Boynton Beach Soup Kitchen, anyone who comes through the door gets soup, a produce box, and two hot meals a day. Hundreds of volunteers work every day to make sure that this won’t ever change.