Walk, Listen and Learn...Homelessness to Happiness

WARNING THIS POST CONTAINS THE RAW TRUTHS OF LIFE EXPERIENCE AND HOW IT SHAPES OUR LEARNING.

I WILL BE USING MY LIFE JOURNEY AS AN EXAMPLE

There a typos, if this offends you I am sorry- But they need to stay...you will see why.

The above is me, walking to clear my head and listen to my favorite writer, Stephen King in 'on writing' a very personalised approach to his writing style.

We all have a choice in how to achieve personal growth. In other words how we learn... 

Whether it is through soft cell personal development, professional or spiritual growth, there are lots of ways to learn.

Everyone has different learning styles and from being to someone who failed especially at school, to reinventing her learning needs later in life, I have some experience to share.

I actually managed to finish a year in college, and now am on my 2nd degree course, I wasnt expected to achieve anything in life.

I was a drop at 15, had a problem with recreational drugs and was homeless. I didn't finish school as a result.

HOW I FINISHED A COLLEGE COURSE AT 19

I had two main motivations. My babies. After struggling with an abusive drug addict relationship, I found the strength to motivate myself to ensure my children didnt see me as that 'drop out' my motivations lead me to start the course and I finished it through the skin of my teeth. I didnt enjoy learning, and found it hard. I know why.

Dyslexia. I found out in my college year in 1998, almost 20 years ago !

I remember doing a learning style test with all my class mates and we all had a result of three things.

Visual learner

Kinetic learner

Audio learner

It wouldn't surprise you to know that out of my class me and friend were kinetic learners and we are both dyslexic.

HOW I GOT INTO UNIVERSITY WITH NO QUALIFICATIONS

I didn't want to go to university, I still had slight symptoms of agorophobia which I had battled with for the last few previous, and the though of travelling to another city everyday scared me 

My college friends (both now in our inner circle of best friends-that is a thing, and we have eight in our clan !) resorted me to tears in the toilets one day as they insisted I was good enough to go you University. Being very passive in nature, there pushiness worked and I dumped my new boyfriend who wanted me to set up house and be a housewife, and I  applied to do a Community Studies and Youth Work degree. 

I didnt think I would stand a chance as I failed school and didn't sit my exams, but I was offered an interview, then a place. My tutor at the time said that I probably wouldn't have been offered one if it wasnt for my life experience.

Turns out that being homeless, having a drug addiction at 15, being in a violent relationship and suffering at the hands of other abusers, losing my dad and being a teenage single parent qualified me to be an asset to the course.

I was for once, thankful that my life had been a bit shit growing up.

The course was hard, back then we didnt have the use od audio, but the course itself was easier for me as It was mostly oral presentations. I laugh as I recall the immature puns we would make about that statement. 

I STUCK AT IT THROUGH PANIC

I had to spread 1 year over two as my panic stepped in and my elevation phobia came in to force (fear of looking up) creeped back in, and I cry now out of humbleness as I remember how thoughtful my classmates and tutor as they everything from the second floor so I could do my presentation outside in the open air.

I finished and scraped through with a HND 2 years of the degree as I only needed that for my qualification to work in youth services and community development.

I spent 15 years in this environment.

WHY DEGREE NUMBER 2? WHAT WAS THE POINT IN LEARNING AGAIN?

I was made redundant in 2013, then developed a passion for enterprise and writing. Previously I won an enterprise award in 2009, this put a spring in my step, and It made me want to work for myself. I played around for a while until i found my passion in writing. 

Who would have thought the dyslexic drop out would be a writer? Not me.

Then it struck me that, if I can write, and with the use of audio, new fonts, soecialist software editing systems and confidence, I ciuld actually study a degree again with full attention.

This is where I am now, studying an arts and humanities degree and sharing my knowledge through blogging. All this to advance my existing writing experience- 5 self-published books(one 75,000 word novel)

Fir a very passive person, with lingering confidence issues, i struggle with the element of promoting myself, but I should, and I need to say to others like me, or who have suffered far worse...

Use your experience to your advantage, no matter how hard it has been it will be usefull to someone, somewhere.

Now I'm happy in my learning.

Sarah x

P.S I will not edit this post, because my typos and grammar is part of me, and today I will let these skills shine...

Edited: Sorry that is a contradiction! Only to include an inspirational person as part of my #dolphinschool training and to headline appropriately. Typo's still in check.

Check clayboyn out as motivation for achievement, this steemian has been very open about their life battles and development. Deserves support, a read and recognition of personal success.