Curiosity-Day 8

 

“The greatest virtue of man is perhaps curiosity.”

Anatole France

Donald Latumahina, founder of Life Optimizer includes the following ideas for developing your curiosity:

“Keep an open mind”- In order to remain curious you must be willing to be open minded. In learning about others point of view your capacity for understanding may increase. However, this does not necessarily mean there is anything wrong with your point of view. Your beliefs are based on your values, and experiences, and curiosity doesn’t have to challenge what you hold to be true. It just might make life a little more interesting. 

“Don’t take things for granted”- I’m guilty of taking the very basic things in life for granted, just assuming they will always be there. Try being more in tune to the things around you. Author Gretchen Rubin did just that in her new book, Life in Five Senses, where she returned to paying closer attention to the world around her.  Curiosity helps you to look a little further into things that you may have missed. 

“Ask questions relentlessly”- Although too much question asking can be annoying to those around you, with today’s resources the answer to any question can be found easily. As the old Yellow Book advertisement used to say, “Let your fingers do the walking.” 

“Don’t label something as boring”- In my generation boredom was rarely a thing as a child because the world was basically  our oyster. We had the freedom to roam our neighborhoods picking up friends along the way for the next adventure. In my early adult years, before having my daughter, I had too much time on my hands, and didn’t do a good job of making the best of it. Boredom was often a complaint of mine. Latumahina states, “Whenever you label something as boring you close one more door of possibility.” Living a curious life opens the door to possibilities, and is only hindered by our imagination. 

“See learning as something fun”- This actually comes easy for me. I’ve loved learning my entire life, and light up when something new and unknown is presented to me. The ‘rabbit hole” is one of my favorite places to be. Just being open to the idea of learning something new can go a long way in enhancing the quality of your life. 

Read diverse kinds of reading”- Although I love to read, I’m guilty of reading the same genre of books over and over again. The number of popular WWII historical fiction books I’ve read can attribute to this. I’ve learned so much, but at the same time I’m feeling kind of burned out, and my desire to read has waned. Latumahina recommends starting with something as simple as a magazine. The bookstore Barnes and Noble is a perfect place to find a plethora of publications to whet your appetite for something new. 

Latumahina repeatedly connects curiosity with excitement.  If we continue to do the same things the same way we may find ourselves viewing life a little less enthusiastically. My theory is that perhaps remaining curious will add to all the other choices like healthy eating, movement, spirituality, and social connections that contribute to healthier aging.