Curiosity

Previously, I wrote about brain health and physical fitness and a few suggestions that will help us age more gracefully and keep us younger - if not chronologically, at least mentally and emotionally.

Lately, I've been curious about curiosity!  Seriously.  How does it affect us and help us as we age?

It's no secret that being curious in general keeps us interested in life and depending on the specific object of our curiosity - can be the gateway to a plethora of new information and interests.

The Gallup Organization reported the results of a survey of more than 130,000 people from 130 nations. The poll identified two factors that had the strongest influence on how much enjoyment a person experienced in a given day: "being able to count on someone for help" and "learning something that day".  Clearly, one must be curious in order to learn something.

There are other important relationships between curiosity and happiness. In his book, Stumbling on Happiness, Harvard University psychology professor Daniel Gilbert, PhD, shows that while we think we know what will make up happy in the future, we are actually less likely to find joy as a result of a planned pursuit than by simply stumbling upon it. It follows that by cultivating curiosity and remaining open to new experiences, we increase our likelihood of encountering those surprising and satisfying activities.

Right now my curiosity has led me to take lectures through Osher Life Long Learning (OLLIE) in and around the Scottsdale area. This organization is nationwide, as well.

Each year OLLIE has two semesters where we can learn about Native Americans, politics, history, writing, music - the subjects are endless. My current interest (among other things) lies in fine art - the artists, the mediums and all the stories surrounding these interesting, talented people. I have been taking these classes for several years and they never disappoint.

My curiosity directly adds to my happiness and satisfaction with my life - and thus, I believe will add years to my life as well. There is a caveat to curiosity, however, and that is when interest in a subject is piqued - it may open a door to that leads to another interest, and then another.....then the issue is - how do we find the time to explore it all?  But, that is another subject. For now, let's be open and curious to all that life has to offer.

This blog is directed to like-minded women and I'm sure you have had some of the same results from your curiosity, too.

xo