Why my learning style stopped me watching the news!

Each one of us has a pre-wired sensitivity to learning through our experiences. We're created for growth and development and will filter our understanding though what we know - so far. As we grow our social and emotional environment will mesh with our biology to shape and inform our personality. Depending on what's encouraged and discouraged as you grow - you'll have particular areas of sensitivity which will touch, inspire, motivate and energise you... but there'll be other areas which will be just as sensitive but more difficult to negotiate. I'm deeply impacted by the spoken word coupled with a visual outworking of that word. At conferences I'm the one blubbing at the video trailers!

Philippians 4:8-9 reminds us to focus our minds on positive things and what we learn from God to put into practice so we can know peace. So what's this got to do with me not watching the news? Well... I've found I get so caught up in the suffering, the injustice and the evil (negativity sells!) that my peace is robbed and my practical love for people is hindered. The TV news hits the buttons of my learning in an unhelpful way. I've got a great App on my phone where I can now read what's going on so I'm still effective and have peace. 

 So what's your learning style ? Psychologist and Pastor Jonh Ortberg categorises...

• Visual -  learn best by watching / looking /seeing
• Auditory - learn best by listening / hearing attending to environmental sounds
• Tactile - learn best by touching / handling/ doing
• Oral - learn best by make sense externally through speaking/ saying / repetition
• Social - learn best by interacting / group work / team tasks
• Logical - learn best in linear process / written / reasoning/calculation
• Imaginative - learn best by engaging emotion through art/story/imagery*

Are there changes you can make in light of self recognition to help you get peace?

Hugs Ruth x  

Taken form the 'Me' the me I want to be by John Ortberg pg. 56 Zondervan Publishing 2010