“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”~Helen Keller
February 4, 2010
Song of my Day (click to hear):
If that doesn’t work try this one for the full version:
It is often in life that we are searching for an answer, searching for control, searching for one significant person, place, or thing that gives us predictability and comfort… ultimately something or someone who takes the stress of curiosity out of life. When we reflect and think back to specific people or places that have excited, or enticed our senses in new ways, it should be easy to conclude that there was some form of curiosity involved in that process. For example, when we are first interested in seeking out another for a potential friendship or relationship, don’t we get excited, don’t we feel nervous, don’t we wonder what they think about us? It is small, perhaps silly, but more exciting. If we travel to a new place or country, isn’t it true that the colors seem more vibrant, the trees seem more alive than where we live on a day-to-day basis, the air seems fresher more exhilarating… once again it is directly related to the idea of curiosity. New places are the hiding places for new memories, new stories, new beauties we haven’t experienced yet, taking those journeys to new places is part of what life is all about.
Life as a “daring” adventure doesn’t mean that we must partake in exciting and thrilling activities like skydiving or cliff jumping, in fact these activities though thrilling are short adrenaline highs that may distract us from the bigger picture of life’s thrills. Waking up in the morning before the sun has risen, before anyone in the world appears to be awake is a time that you may understand the thrill of life. The true excitement lies in small moments where curiosity tickles your mind. Life is essentially a bundle of small moments… most of these moments are usually wished away. Think of our moments at work or our moments doing things we find uneventful, routine, and predictable. If we live each day in this fashion, that is perhaps why we choose the cheap high route on the weekends with massive amounts of alcohol and or other cheap highs. Finding outlets to constantly entice your curiosity will enhance day-to-day living.
Today, tomorrow, or anytime find a way to think about something you may have never thought about before, or reach out to someone you love in a new way. Make others and yourself reap the benefit of something unpredictable. Little moments that deviate from the normal routine can give us some of the most heart warming and joyous feelings. If we don’t see life and people as an adventure than what are we really experiencing? Be reminded by the words of Helen Keller, even though we may think we are secure in this life, nothing is ever promised. We can control for so little and in that attempt of control we sometimes neglect to enjoy life’s opportunities to experience new things. There is nothing to lose with trying something new, even as small as a new restaurant. You cannot find anything you enjoy if you never try. We always have our comfortable habits to fall back on, they are our safe net, so essentially we have nothing to lose in trying something new today.
Meghan A. Phillips Blog 