Better
than plastic surgery
Joni
Mitchell has a song, “Happiness is the best facelift”, but curiosity is an
equally effective anti-aging device. If you want to stay youthful and
energetic, consider the role of curiosity in your life. As kids, many of
us were not encouraged to be curious: “Remember, curiosity killed the
cat”, my grandma told me when I asked too many questions. At the time
(age 5) I shut up and obeyed her, but I wish I had replied with, “But
Grandma, I’ll bet that cat had a fabulous 9 lives before he died.”
Curiosity
in the world
Curiosity is enthusiasm about your own life and that of others. It’s
about being out there in the world, not all wrapped up in your neurotic
little self. Curiosity is questioning, wondering, and pondering. Reading
can be a great way to experience curiosity: you can travel the world and
meet the most bizarre and amazing people without leaving your sofa.
Travel is another way to express your curiosity about the world. When you
go to different places, you leave your comfort zone behind: new people,
places, things and customs keep you alert and pose questions like: “Why
do they do that?” or “What would I be like if I grew up here?” Curiosity
in the world keeps us mentally expanding and growing…and youthful!
Curiosity
about yourself
Besides
wondering about others and how they live, it’s mentally healthy to wonder
about yourself. When you ask yourself questions like:
·
Who am I
really?
·
Who am I
today?
·
Who did I
used to be?
·
Who do I
want to be in 5, 10 or 15 years?
you
literally create new neural patterns in your brain that keep you younger,
smarter and healthier. While there is a fine line between self-curiosity
and self-obsession (hello narcissists!), it’s hard to grow without
periodic spells of self-examination (even Madonna said, “an unexamined
life is not worth living” in her song lyrics), You can use self-help
books, prayer, meditation, psychotherapy and even shopping to explore your
curiosity about yourself. Yes, shopping! For example, when you go
shopping, how do you define what’s really “You”? Do you look at something
and think, “I like that shirt/lamp/whatever, but that’s just not ‘me’.”
This is shopping as a form of self-definition. By saying “yes” or “no” to
things you could wear/buy/have, you are asking yourself, “Who am I and
what do I think is right for me?” So the next time you go shopping,
consciously enjoy your curiosity. Let yourself be amused and perhaps even
surprised at how you define yourself.
Passion:
curiosity’s best friend
I define
passion as strong feelings or energy directed towards someone or
something. There is a common misconception about passion, that it must be
dramatic and over-the-top for it to count. This is bullshit. Passion can
be as subtle as watching a spider spin a web at your cubicle at work or
noticing the color of the tomato plants on your apartment balcony. We are
all passionate beings. You may not think you are, but, dear reader, get
over yourself. You may not yet be aware of your passion or expressing it
(yet), but it’s there.
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