Stay Curious

One gift I would give my children and those that come after is the gift of curiosity. Have you noticed that children are endlessly curious about anything and everything? They are constantly growing, not just physically but mentally. Every single day brings something wonderful, something new. They set a good example.

Life can be a long haul for many of us and it’s hard not to be jaded, indifferent and complacent. And if not one or all of those, at least boringly, increasingly pragmatic. It’s perhaps good to be practical about paying bills, getting groceries in the house and planning ahead when it affects well-being, but otherwise, not so much.

There are so many things I am curious about, so many things I want to know. For example: the names of birds (I know, nerdy, right?) and what their individual songs sound like; the work being done on the human genome by the Crispr and how extraordinary the implications of that technology; the discoveries being made of deep space; the very real possibility of self-healing, not to mention the healing capabilities of others that we can’t yet explain. I could fill volumes with what I wish I knew and understood.

I recently spent some time with someone who believes they have all the answers about everything. They are relatively young but very closed to new ideas. Especially those ideas that challenge their opinions. I would laugh if it wasn’t so sad. What a waste to not be open.

So if there is wisdom here, it’s this: there is no excuse to ever be bored. No excuse to close yourself off. If you are bored or closed off, there is something else going on. We are all information seekers. Look at the phones glued to our hands. They are splendid technology but there are other ways of learning. Observe, converse, read books, go to lectures, listen to music, learn a new language, watch a program about something you don’t understand. 

Stay curious. Always.