1. Using resources is the key to learning

Hello everyone, let's learn about Active Learning 5: Use Your Resources Proactively. Using resources is the key to learning. We need to use the resources we have to learn. For example, if you are a scientist, how do you write a paper? You have to base on other people's work and then add on to it. If you are a programmer, you need to learn how other programmers do it, how they write those programming languages, and then you use those skills to write your own software.

I went somewhere recently and I heard that there were self-driving taxis. Then I tried and was amazed by the technology. Everything is progressed by building up on other people's work. Learning is learning from others, not inventing. Throughout our entire life, we will learn from others. So you need to use your resources correctly and proactively to learn. You haven't invented anything, the only thing you invented was because you added on to somebody else's work.

We start learning from others in the first grade of elementary school, still learning from others in middle school and high school. Which one is not learning from others? In college, we also learn from others. Active learning is to solve problems. The key throughout our lives is to use resources. If you can't find good resources, your learning is ineffective.

2. What resources do you have?

If you don’t know how to learn by now, you need to be punished. Do you know why I say this? Because there are so many resources to learn from today, but you are too lazy to take action. There are so many websites, books, videos, and information online. Whatever you want to learn, you can find it online. And it’s not even expensive.

Even in our church, there are so many different groups you can join and learn. In each class, we have teachers who can help you learn how to proactively learn and solve problems. For you, it is about fully utilizing these resources and starting to learn.

3. How to proactively use resources

You need to learn how to find resources, so searching for information is a very important skill in this era. Now, this has been simplified. For example, we have ChatGPT now and whatever we ask, they can give you an answer. If you don’t use your resources proactively, then you won’t be able to use them well. So active learning is not only an attitude but also a character.

In the future, we will have classes teaching you guys about how to search and digest information. If someone writes very clearly, but you can't read it clearly because you don't know how to read, then start practicing how to read things. Nothing is instant, everything takes time to learn. We will definitely push everyone on how to read.

Do not be afraid to ask questions. We have a bunch of pastors who can help you along the way. Let me give you an example of how to use resources when working. When you are trying to do some work, you need these things: Tools, materials, craftsmanship, and skill. If you can use these four things well, you will become very powerful.

Every trade has its classics. Don’t read story books or watch short videos. Find good information. Learn how to read. If you want to understand something thoroughly, you need to build a framework, and then move on to rough processing. Rough processing is like constructing the framework of a house, and then gradually delving into it step by step. Learning without a framework is like learning in a fog.

4. Using resources is a form of knowledge and wisdom

How you use resources is a form of knowledge and wisdom, you need to learn this. Use the littlest time to reap the largest reward. If you can use the resources well in our church, then you are very skilled.

So using your resources well is knowledge. The most important thing to learn is to learn how to use your resources well. For example, there are a lot of accountants among us, so I made a group chat with a bunch of accountants. This group chat is a resource, there are lots of very skilled accountants and lots of unskilled ones. When they encounter problems, they often ask questions inside. In the group chat, after seeing the members communicate with each other, I thought to myself, wow, they are learning quickly.

5. Overcome psychological obstacles

If you have the mentality of a poor person. You think that, Oh I shouldn't bother other people, other people shouldn’t bother me. This is bad. There are other people, who love their faces, they are scared to ask questions and they think that asking questions is embarrassing. Barriers come from being scared and embarrassed. To overcome these barriers, we need to force ourselves to do things. Barriers are just a lie, you need to rush past them.

How to overcome this psychological barrier? Imagine someone standing by the edge of a swimming pool, feeling scared, too afraid to jump in. If you give them a push, they realize the water is only knee-deep. Then, what are they afraid of? Nothing, it is just a psychological barrier. To overcome this barrier, it requires guidance, companionship, and various stimuli, which are quite simple.

6. Example

I want to use house renovation as an example of how to use resources.

First, you need to design. If you say, "I don't know how to design." Then you can go and look at the showroom, look at its past floor plans.

Secondly, you need to find people to do it. Then you need to find where the electricians are, the carpenters, and the construction workers. When you find these things, you only need to start managing these resources, learn and explore them, and meet new people. Construction companies hire people to do work, they don’t do things themselves.

I am someone who loves to learn. People can't make money from me. Why? Because I don't need to go hospital when I am sick. I write my own software. I renovate the house by myself. Then I can save a lot of money to do something else, like buying another house. I do a lot of work but I still look young. A person who likes learning will be happy.