The consequence of not being curious

Ever since I was young I wondered about so many things. I felt like my curiosity was a treasure that kept on giving.

But once I got swallowed by the system brick by brick my wonders for life came crumbling down.

The result is that I've never unlocked my full potential. And I'm not alone.

When we are children we have this constant open mind for the world and what is there to discover. This fades away once we have to follow the rules, be socially acceptable, and language comes into play.

In this process, we lose touch with what is most important:

Self-discovery.

The urgency to follow your pursuit

This ongoing trend of not discovering has many consequences, but one in particular.

NOT putting in the reps to develop ourselves on what drives us.

If you're not making the effort on your own growth you'll never achieve what you are capable of. And it is our job to pursue our own curiosity.

Why? Well let's look at what is happening around the world as a consequence:

• Highest levels of anxiety around the world

• An unprecedented desire for instant gratification

• Insane numbers of stress-related diseases

And the list goes on.

The result of following your pursuit

The consequence of not self-discovering is pretty clear right now. So what happens if you take the long road?

First things first, don't expect an easy road. Life isn't easy. Being trapped in the system isn't easy and following your passion isn't easy. But if both aren't easy, why not give the latter a shot?

The fruits that will come from the road to mastery are boundless:

• Self-fulfillment

• Being humble

• Becoming more aware

• Develop your own language

• Discover new levels of creativity

• Helping others

• Craft your own story

• Gratitude toward the wonders of life

• Better mental stability

Again, the list goes on.

The Flip-Over

So how do we start?

By flipping over our current way of being. Hence the Flip-Over. We want to change our perspective on why and how we do things.

There are 5 structures that are essential in finding your passion(s):

1) Write every day

It is critical that we re-learn how to be curious. We do this by writing. You'll want to write about all things related to you.

Why? Because writing brings you:

• Clarity in thinking

• Connecting the dots in your knowledge

• Improve creativity

• Emotional release

In your daily writing, you can think of personal struggles, motives, desires, ideas, observations, and so on.

Start with 5 minutes a day. Build consistency.

After a couple of weeks, you don't want to put the pen away. You'll need to write.

2) Using your DNM

Since the age of dawn, we have walked. When we were hunters, we walked to hunt our prey. It is ingrained in our system so deeply that whenever we walk, we feel good.

Walking offers health-related benefits, but it contains one extra CRITICAL element.

It awakens your creative side.

Why?

When you walk you'll put empathizes on your Default Mode Network. This means more parts of the brain are active instead of specific parts. They are connecting and are making connections.

The DMN is more activated when you are passively observing or daydreaming.

More connections → more creativity

More creativity → more desire for your pursuit.

It is a win-win.

3) Outline your values

The deeper you can go, the better you can listen to yourself.

I struggled for a long time with who I wanted to be. As a result, I didn't really get anywhere. Once I've gathered some skills I knew what I wanted out of life.

That process was a mirror for me and still is. Reflection on who you are is essential for growth.

A part of this is outlining your values.

There are 3 questions I would like you to answer for yourself:

• What are three most important lessons you have learned and why are they so critical?

• Who are you at your best?

• What one-sentence inscription would you like to see on your tombstone that would capture who you really were in your life?

Once answered look at the list of James Clear to pick 3 values that represent you:

https://jamesclear.com/core-values.

These will be your foundation.

Prove who you are by adhering to these values in small wins. Everyday.

4) Build consistency, then intensity

Whenever you embark on creating a new habit you want instant results. Unless you are superman himself this will not happen. Even very talented people need to put in the reps to become successful.

If you're being told otherwise it's false.

The biggest talent you grant yourself is being consistent. Nobody is born consistent, you have to make it your own.

When you feel like it is easier for others than for you, change the angle.

How to start?

Pick a habit that aligns with your values, and with who you want to be:

• I want to be mentally strong -> start meditating 5 minutes a day.

• I want to do what I say I want to do -> start by not snoozing anymore.

• I want to be a healthy person -> start by making 1 healthy meal a day.

The key is to start so small that it is almost impossible to not do it.

If 10 minutes is too hard > 5 minutes.

If 5 minutes is too hard > 2 minutes.

If 2 minutes is too hard > 1 minute.

And so on.

Once you've done this will one habit, the rest will become SO much easier.

Later you can intensify.

Then it is a matter of time until you find your success.

5) Don't wait for the inspiration to happen

There are moments when you watch or read something and your brain goes &^%$%^$#.

You are so inspired that you want to do something. You want to convert what you saw into actions.

When you are inspired, your levels of dopamine and serotonin lift up.

Dopamine is related to -> movement, memory, pleasurable rewards, and motivation

Serotonin is related to -> well-being, appetite regulation, and the transmission of nerve impulse

So the more inspiration you absorb, the more stimulation there is in the brain.

So to install inspiration more in your life do this:

Read, watch, or listen to one source of inspiration daily.

I don't care how long it is but consume it daily. This will activate parts of your brain and set new desires in motion.

The more you do this the more you'll want to discover of the world.

Then the path to working for it is close and more approachable.

To recap:

• We need to follow our pursuits or we face the harsh consequences

• Write every day to enhance your thinking

• Amplify your DNM by walking

• Building consistency is the fundament for success

• Align your core values to work towards the future you

• Don't wait for inspiration, but go to it

This will be the basis to start your journey, your pursuit. In the future, I will dive deeper into this topic with a more intermediate perspective.

Hope you enjoyed it and take care!

See you next time.

- Tim