“You could be missing out on lots of what life has to offer. You might not recognize opportunity even when it stares you in the face. You could be closed off to many good things that would help you get ahead in your career or at school. Sadly, if you are missing out you are missing out. Who knows what or how much you might be missing. Have you ever considered this?

Curiosity is one thing we all seem to have when we are young but tend to let diminish as we grow older. We shut down instead of staying open. We get jaded instead of filled with wonder. We live by ‘been there done that’ instead of ‘WOW how incredible! How does this work? or Why? or What does that do, or mean? We stop asking questions from an open mind.

Instead of seeing to understand and to learn many of us sacrifice those important qualities for certainty or for being right. Some of us get into arguments that go no where just to prove our point. We seem to have forgotten what it was, and is, like to experience the innocence and openness and wonder of a child. To be open and to wonder is amazing and has so many marvelous benefits.

Some one pointed out that we listen in order to speak next not really to understand the other person’s position. We watch ‘our’ shows and listen to radio that supports what we already believe. We seem to all sing in the same choir but there are many choirs in the world and we may not accept the others. We go to war over philosophy and religion and words. We ostracize and criticize.

We would benefit greatly if we sought to become curious again. We’d be much better off if we were to learn, to explore, to look and actually listen seeking to understand rather than to dismiss too early. Our brains crave novelty and newness . By providing ourselves with new things to learn and enjoy that stimulation alone helps keep us younger.

Thinking and behaving differently is stimulating in healthy ways. We grow older faster by only giving our brains the same stimuli all the time. When we restrict our attention and our choices we limit ourselves and we don’t grow as much. Stress also stunts our development. We need to provide our brains with new things to enjoy. We need to stretch ourselves. There are lots of things we can do to add variety, novelty and newness to our lives. There is so much to become curious and wonder about. We are such creatures of habit we miss so much of what good is going on around us and elsewhere. Dive in!

Take a new route to work or school, dress and shower in a different order, sleep facing another way, learn new games, play, take up new hobbies, sports, read materials and watch shows you wouldn’t normally and stay open. Instead of objecting to what you disagree with ask questions that help you understand the other position. Look for the merits not the pitfalls.  Meet new people, learn another language. Visit museums and art galleries. Try new foods, take up cooking. Vary the speed of your walk, sing, skip, go new places. Listen to different kinds of music. There are so many ways to add newness to our experience.

The world and people and nature is an endless supply of areas to be curious about. Stop and take a moment to ‘smell the rose’, to notice, to look, to observe, to listen, to interact with the little things we pass by or miss or shut out each day. Take moments to savor. Be an explorer. We can imagine we are in the jungle or the Amazon and everything is new and different. We can ask questions to understand without explaining or defending our point of view. We can try new things!

There is so much to notice, enjoy, delight in and appreciate. Why miss any of it? We need to get out of our comfort zone and our laziness and discover more. I have always maintained that ‘exploration IS the doorway to adventure’. Live as an adventurer, not a conquerer. Live as a young child open to find newness each second. We only go around once why not live more fully?” Rex Sikes

What adventures can you discover that will delight you? Enjoy!

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