The Holidays are always full of youthful zest, curiosity, and creativity. These feelings motivate us to feel alive, happy, and young at heart and are indeed some of the keys to a long healthy, happy life. How nice would it be to make these feelings more than just holiday events and make them a permanent part of our everyday lives for as long as we live?
They should be! If these traits are so successful for youth and indeed are keys to a happy life, why do we lose these traits so quickly as we move away from the holidays and become overwhelmed with the everyday responsibilities of life!
Perhaps we should call it 'adult zest and curiosity. Or maybe 'curiosity and anticipation of the unknown' or 'excitement over unpredictable outcomes.' After all, these are traits we admire in the children around us. Many of us forget what zest and curiosity are. We become fearful of and too frequently anticipate negative and unpredictable outcomes. It becomes difficult to reconnect with those youthful feelings.
I am not one for New Year's resolutions, but the New Year is an excellent time to contemplate and, with hope, make some changes.' Let's turn this around. Let's make zest, curiosity and creativity habits that we practice every day.
But that is easier said than done. Here are some questions to ponder that will help us get started. We will explore each of the above questions in the weeks to come.
1. Do you remember the last time you felt youthful zest, curiosity, and creativity?
Was it when you got an unexpected gift this holiday?
2. Can you identify two daily activities that could be considered addictive behaviors that get in the woy of your creativity?
How long can you go without checking your phone for texts or emails?
3. When was the last time you thought Outside The Box?
Do you remember the Slinky? During World War II, a naval engineer was working with torsion springs when one fell out of a box. He watched in awe as it "walked" across a table. (1) The Slinky was born. Have you recently created a new recipe, tried a new exercise routine, or taken 'The Road Less Traveled'?
4. When a chance to make a change occurs, do you take it or avoid it.
If you see a new dish on the menu at your favorite restaurant, are you tempted to choose that, or do you quickly revert to your old favorite?".
As we think about these questions, we will realize that age has everything to do with everything; as we say, time waits for no one. And one of life's guarantees is that everything changes. But does the loss of youthful zest, curiosity, and creativity need to become a casualty of age? Do we need to lose that zest for life at all?
I do not believe so. Part of the Bluerisa journey is to make sure youthful attributes are not lost because youthful zest, curiosity and creativity are essential keys to unlocking the doors to a happy, healthy future. As Frank Lloyd Wright, Architect, Interior designer, writer, and educator, said,
"Youth is a quality, not a matter of circumstances."
Your feedback on at least one of the above questions will help with our detailed exploration of how each has affected our ability to live a life full of youthful zest, curiosity, and creativity. I am curious to see your thoughts, comments and ideas. Please share your thoughts and comments here.
Your friend.
Mark Block