Self-Made Futures: The Key to Learning and Personal Success

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Ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of textbooks and studying? You're not alone. Many young adults abandon their dreams due to the mountain of knowledge they believe they need to conquer. We, Ryan Kimball and Mike Tyler, challenge this narrative by arguing that success lies not in studying harder but in studying smarter. In this episode, we put the spotlight on words - the foundation of our communication and understanding. We equip you with the tools to master this foundation, to approach any information with confidence, and to live the dream you once abandoned.

We delve into the power of words in the second half of the episode. Words, when understood and used correctly, can fuel your confidence, clarity, and comprehension. However, they can also create barriers when misused. We share insights on how mastering words and grammar can revolutionize your growth and competence. The journey to empowerment begins with understanding the impact of words. So, are you ready to embark on this journey, one word at a time?

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Episode Transcript

Ryan (00:02):
Welcome to The Competence Institute podcast.
I'm your host, Ryan, and todaywe're delving into a topic
that's at the heart of ourmission.
I'm joined by my co-founder,Mike Tyler.
Mike, great to have you here!

Mike (00:18):
Thanks, Ryan! It's always a pleasure to discuss these
subjects that we're both sopassionate about.

Ryan (00:24):
Absolutely! Today we're going to discuss an
all-too-common symptom we seewith many young adults,
especially by the time theyreach high school.
They've abandoned any dream oridea of becoming exceptional in
any field because they believethey can't cope with the
studying.
They look at textbooks and feeloverwhelmed, thinking: reading

(00:46):
all those books would just killme! Why is this the case, Mike?

Mike (00:51):
You hit the nail on the head, Ryan.
The overwhelming feeling comesfrom not knowing how to approach
studying effectively.
We live in an age where there'sinformation overload.
With smartphones, social mediaand the internet, our young
adults' minds are bombarded withbits of information every

(01:13):
second, but without the righttools to process and understand
this information, it becomes amountain they feel they cannot
climb.

Ryan (01:22):
Right.
And it's not just aboutstudying harder, but studying
smarter.
So let's dive deep into thecore of this issue: the
importance of learning to studyand the role of words and their
arrangements.

Mike (01:35):
Absolutely.
Words are our primary means ofcommunication.
Every subject, be it history,science, math or art, is
communicated through words.
Their arrangement, the way theyform sentences and paragraphs,
play a crucial role in how weunderstand and interpret
information.

Ryan (01:58):
And for our young audience , especially those in high
school, words become thefoundation of their education.
But if they don't know how toengage with these words, if they
don't understand the nuances,the structure or the art of
language, then even the moststraightforward subjects can
become intimidating.

Mike (02:17):
True, and we're not talking just about literature or
languages here.
Even subjects like mathematicscan have their language.
Equations, formulas, they allform a language.
If our young adults can'tdecipher this language, they
feel lost.

Ryan (02:37):
That's a great point, Mike .
Our mission at The CompetenceInstitute is not just to teach
subjects, but to empower youngadults with tools, tools that
can help them approach any pieceof information or any textbook
confidently.

Mike (02:53):
And it's not about memorizing or rote learning.
It's about understanding.
When you understand thestructure, the why and how of
words and their arrangement, youcan decode any subject.
This empowerment, then, allowsyoung adults to envision a
prosperous future, one wherethey aren't bogged down by the

(03:14):
fear of textbooks.

Ryan (03:17):
I think it's essential to acknowledge that this fear is
real.
Many kids in school todaygenuinely feel like they're in
over their head.
It's not because they aren'tsmart or because they lack
potential.
It's because they've never beentaught how to swim in this
ocean of words and information.

Mike (03:37):
Spot on, Ryan, and that's where we come in.
Our aim is not just to beanother tutoring service.
Our mission is to bridge thisgap, to show these young adults
that they can be superstars notby avoiding the challenge, but
by facing it with the righttools.

Ryan (03:55):
Great.
Let's start from the foundation.
Why are words and theirarrangement so crucial,
especially for our youngaudience?

Mike (04:04):
Words are our primary medium of expression, Ryan.
Every time we tweet, write anessay or even send a text, we're
using words to represent ourthoughts.
The better we can arrange them,the clearer and more impactful
our message.

Ryan (04:21):
Absolutely.
Can you give us some real lifeexamples of where this becomes
crucial?

Mike (04:28):
Sure thing.
Let's take a young adultentering the world of work.
If they're in marketing, thesuccess of an ad campaign could
hinge on the clarity andpersuasiveness of their language
.
Or let's say they're in thetech world, explaining a complex
software issue to a client.
Here, precise language can bethe difference between confusion

(04:49):
and a satisfied customer.

Ryan (04:52):
Nice! And beyond professional life?

Mike (04:57):
In personal relationships, words play a key role too.
Expressing oneself clearly canbe the difference between
misunderstandings and meaningfulconnections.

Ryan (05:07):
Very true! I recently read that 40% of students drop out
of college every year.
How much of this do you thinkcan be attributed to struggles
with effectively using language?

Mike (05:25):
While it's a mix of factors, Ryan, language is
undoubtedly significant.
A student may grasp a conceptbut struggle to articulate it in
an essay, or they mightmisinterpret a question due to
its wording.
Mastering the function ofwords can hugely impact academic
success.

Ryan (05:40):
Understood.
Can you break this down furtherfor our listeners, starting
with the basics?

Mike (05:46):
Absolutely.
Let's go back to those dreamsthat are usually formed early in
life.
A kid decides I'm going to be adoctor, or I'm going to be a
lawyer or an engineer orwhatever.
But kids are usually - havepretty big ideas, early on.
But by the time they hit highschool, their confidence in

(06:06):
studying has been killed off bythe system of grading and
leaving behind material thatwasn't fully understood.
So now they look at all thebooks they would have to study
to become a doctor, a lawyer, anengineer or whatever they want,
and they think, Oh no! Readingall those books would just kill
me! In other words, they'relooking at books like you would

(06:30):
look at an electrical panel withits cover off.
Sure, that thing CAN kill you,if you don't know what parts are
connected to what other partsand you just start sticking your
fingers in it.
Unfortunately, that means ouryoung adult does not become a
Lifelong Learner, but rather,settles for whatever comes their

(06:51):
way.

Ryan (06:53):
And that's what we handle at The Competence Institute.
To any young adult listening tothis, remember - words are just
tools.
With the right guidance,understanding and approach, you
can master them and when youmaster them, you can master any
subject, any field and trulyenvision a future that is
boundless in its potential.

Mike (07:14):
Beautifully said, Ryan.
It's a journey and we're hereto walk alongside all those who
want to embark on it.

(07:57):
Even though people often say,everyone makes mistakes, the
core part of our mind, whichreally understands things,
doesn't mess up.

Ryan (08:08):
That's a powerful thought.
How does mastering words andgrammar help them tap into that
core understanding?

Mike (08:17):
Words are the tools we use to tap into and express that
core understanding, Ryan.
When young adults caneffectively convey their
thoughts, it boosts confidence,clarity and comprehension,
whether in academics, theirprofession or personal life.

Ryan (08:35):
And it's interesting how often we might not realize the
impact of words.
The statement, everybody knows,seems innocent but can be a
major source of misconceptions.

Mike (08:47):
Exactly.
Just as the clarity andprecision of language can
empower, vague or misused wordscan create barriers, and for
young adults, understanding thiscan make a world of difference
in their growth and competence.

Ryan (09:02):
Truly insightful.
Thanks for sharing thesethoughts with our listeners,

Mike (09:07):
It's been a pleasure, Ryan .

And to our listeners (09:08):
never underestimate the power of your
words.