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Chapter Ten: Ashley + School = No Bueno

December, 2017


I'd have to say that second to the golden rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." , that, “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” is a quote I need to remind myself of daily. I crave education. Not in the traditional way your mind immediately thinks of - school/college. But I crave it in the sense of instruction, coaching, training, guidance. School and I did not get a long. I went to public school up until I begged my sweet and sacrificial mother to homeschool me in the 5th grade (up until I went back to school for my junior and senior year). Just like a lot of people, school felt like hell to me. Not because of the social aspect, I never really had a problem making friends, but I always felt "dumb" when it came to the actual schooling side of it. The way they taught in school did not sync up with little old Ashleys brain. No matter how hard I studied I could never retain the information. I am NOT an audible learner and it boggled my mind how other kids could read a section of a book or be lectured at on a subject and retain all of it - how is that possible?? And instead of searching for a different way to learn and understand I was just left thinking that I was dumber than everyone else, inadequate, stupid, hopeless. I thought that this was the only way to learn and that if you couldn't learn in that specific way then you were a failure so I was put in a special class with the other "dumb" kids who also struggled with learning. Why was is that by the age of two I could tie my shoes and blow bubbles with my gum, ride and jump a little kid gas motorcycle by the age of four and a half, use my own two hands and imagination to build and create, sit and learn mechanics with my dad in the garage, but couldn't remember all 50 states or ramble off the first 5 presidents?? Because when I was at home, I had the freedom and opportunity to EDUCATE myself in a way that worked with me and had two amazing parents who encouraged and allowed me to do so! Even thought I felt like it and still struggle with feeling like it, I wasn't dumb - I just required a different style of learning that school didn't offer. It took me a long time to realize that. Find out a style of learning that works with you and run with it!! Don't let anyone tell you you're stupid or incapable of learning just because you struggle learning in ONE specific way. Because there are a million different ways to learn - there is no "one size fits all" so don't put yourself in a box like I did!



My husband and I love building our businesses, home, and dreams - and we didn't go to or need college to do it. We just needed a desire to educate ourselves in a way that connected with us and enabled us to do it and then put it to action! Don't get me wrong, we are NOT anti-college! We are just pro personalized education. If I had wanted to become a nurse, doctor, architect, etc. I obviously would've gone to college. But I knew that college was not a requirement for my specific goals and dreams. A desire to learn was. We didn't go to school to become arborists, but we've grown a tree service business that has solely supported us for 4 years. We didn't go to school to become engineers, but we designed our house ourselves. We didn't go to school to become electricians, but we wired our house. Why? Because of a desire to learn and some pretty amazing people in our lives who were willing to teach us in a way that worked with our brains!

*Even though its an itty bitty house - 25 breakers used



Put It To Action


Establish a goal/dream/passion/desire, establish a craving for education, know yourself and discover a way that enables you to learn and retain, put it to action.

*Building a floating bathroom vanity






Keep Your Eyes On The Goal


Why are we so quick to forget who we really are? We have a reviving thought that drives us to see things outside of ourselves but inevitably it doesn’t take us long to fall victim to a life lived day by day. Routine in moderation is healthy; Too much is debilitating. I am reminded how important it is to have a large goal. A “far-off” goal. One that keeps you inspired to look beyond each day and into the future. I think to live day by day is somewhat of a selfish endeavor - whatever drives me, pulls me, attracts me, scares me, influences me, whatever makes me feel good, satisfied, excited. You are driven by self. This is something that we all fall victim to because its our autopilot, if you will. That is why we feel dissatisfied so often I believe. Because we are being guided by our emotions which are swayed so quick and so often. Anything and everything can affect how we feel. The sun, the rain, music, a smell, a taste, another persons behavior towards us… how can we keep up? With everything influencing our minute to minute, second to second feelings, what is drawing our main focus? Self. There is no true map or guide. Like following a squirrel around the forest - drawn to everything shiny that it sees and runs from everything that seems the tiniest bit suspicious. Expecting it to lead us to “happiness”. Instead you find yourself lost in the woods wondering how you got there with nothing in your hands but a few sparkling shards of broken glass and some coins that caught your eye when the sun hit is just right as you skipped through the trees. Enjoying the pretty glass and shiny coins along the way is not bad, don’t get me wrong. But how disappointing and unfulfilling if thats all thats acquired at the end of the day. How much better is it to know that you can enjoy those simple things along the journey to your destination. You just first need to establish where that destination might be so that if you’re pulled by something exciting along the way or scared and jerk and swerve, you know ultimately how to get back on the main path.


 

Want To Follow Our Venture?


If you’d like to follow our venture I’d love to see you follow our pages @ThePreludeXII on Facebook and Instagram. I hope to encourage people to not deify common sense and to go all in for their passions and purpose and if this only encourages one single person to do that than it's more than worth it!



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