Live Curious

Hunger Interest and Action

2008-04-10T19:35:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow I have no school. I decided I should do something interesting, preferably outdoors since I know it will be nice out. I thought to myself, what if I just walk? I could pick a direction and walk, stopping halfway through the day to turn around and walk back home. But why would I do something like that? Why simply walk? Here's why:

I'm going to wear a t-shirt that says "THP.org" on it, to advertise The Hunger Project. I'll also wear a sign on cardboard that says, "20,000 DIE FROM HUNGER EVERY DAY," and I will eat nothing all day.

I am protesting hunger. I suspect that most people already know that there are millions of hungry people, so I'm not trying to raise awareness, per se. But I am trying to draw interest. Interest and action.

Although I know most people have work or school tomorrow, it can't hurt to ask: does anyone want to walk too, in your hometown? Even just for part of the day. Write a shocking statistic on a piece of cardboard and carry it. Who knows what kind of difference this could make? *idealistically hopeful smile* :)

P.S. Yes, I know my previous post said this blog is on hiatus, but I just had to post this.

Hiatus

2008-04-02T17:08:00.003-04:00

This blog is on hiatus until the school year ends, because I just don't have enough time/energy to work on it between school and my personal interests. Also, my creativity tends to decrease in the spring (I don't know why. And it peaks in autumn.). I don't want to sacrifice quality just so that I can keep my blog current. Sorry to any readers (do I even have any regular readers? I don't know). May 1st I'll be back!

Small Talk to Conversation

2008-03-27T14:32:00.001-04:00

Starting a conversation with someone you don't know very well can be challenging. Once you run out of small talk ("Nice weather" and "These éclairs are good"), what do you talk about? Do you panic in the awkward silence and blurt the first thing that comes to mind? Wouldn't you rather have a meaningful conversation instead of a series of increasingly irrelevant sentences?

This is the key to conversation: find a shared interest. Mention some things that you enjoy doing, find interesting, or are passionate about. If the person reacts to any of them (even if they react negatively), there is the potential for a good discussion (or a friendly, respectful debate). However, be very careful if you start talking about religion or politics, because people can get very upset about those things.

One other thing is extremely important. In fact, it's essential. Be honest with your conversation partner. I cannot emphasize this enough. Most people can understand that not everyone cares about the same things. Never pretend you care. If he or she starts talking about something that bores you, politely say so, or discretely change the subject. If you smile, nod, and make friendly remarks without meaning any of it, the person will get the sense that you are fake. It might not register consciously, but it will be in the back of their minds the next time you meet. Being honest, on the other hand, will give them the sense that you are open and candid, which builds trust between you. Trust is fertile soil for friendship.

I'm not going to give you any complicated conversation guidelines, because those would only distract you when an opportunity to talk arises. You only need to remember these two things: find a shared interest, and be honest. After that, just let it flow.

Meet People: social functions

2008-03-25T15:43:00.005-04:00

I won't spend much time explaining why it's so rewarding to meet new people, since I hope it's fairly obvious. Instead, I will focus on a possible situation and strategy for meeting people. Social functions are one of the most common situations available for making acquaintances. Most people already go to various meetings, parties, and gatherings, but often they don't talk to unfamiliar people. They tend to form a group with people they already know, standing in a closed circle that inadvertently excludes outsiders. Without their friends present, they often become wallflowers, fading into the background. Other people seem to drift through the room, passing from group to group and talking with lots of new people. These are the social butterflies.

Which group are you in?

If you're the wallflower type, try this: pluck yourself from the wall, and join a group that looks friendly and receptive. Introduce yourself, maybe tell why you are there, and ask what they had been discussing (unless you already know, in which case you can state your opinion or ask a question). Be a good listener--wallflower types tend to be good at this--but don't be afraid to put your two cents in. Think about the topic, examine your viewpoint, and state your opinions when it is appropriate to do so. Feel free to disagree with someone else's opinion. Someone who always agrees is about as interesting as a pull-string doll. If you're nervous about talking to unfamiliar people, ask yourself if it really matters whether you sound like a fool or not. Do these people have authority over you? If not, why bother trying to appeal to them? Don't let shyness or timidity hold you back from being assertive and social.

As for social butterflies, you don't need much advice on this topic. You already meet new people all the time. Here is my only suggestion: actively seek out those people that stand on the sidelines. If you are a social butterfly, alight on a wallflower.

Keep Learning

2008-03-23T18:43:00.006-04:00

It's very important to keep learning as an adult. Most people finish school, get a job, settle down, and severely decrease the amount they learn. Gradually, the things they learned in school fade and their ability to learn fades with it. Yes, your learning capacity can decrease. Use it or lose it.

People who keep learning as adults get a lot of benefits. They experience a much smaller decrease in learning capacity. Their memories stay sharper as they age. They stay up-to-date on changes in society and technology, so they remain useful in their jobs and respected in social circles.

Learning is exciting if you are interested in the topic. All of the cool adults I know are learning something interesting that they get excited about. Two of the most fascinating people I know are actually studying to get their pilot's licenses. Another person studied and tested for her amateur radio license. Another, who hated his weekly piano lessons as a child, has taken a liking to classical music and decided to take piano lessons again, and he has already had a successful recital.

Find something that interests you. Foreign languages, computer game programming, an art like sketching or sculpting, or--if you're ambitious--a new career skill set. Community colleges provide a lot of options for adult education. Community centers usually offer a host of seasonal classes, generally more Arts-oriented. Almost all have a price tag attached, but it's not too difficult to save up. Locate one of these places and ask for a catalog so you can see how many cool choices there are. Find a fun way to keep your mind flexible and active. Stay sharp; keep learning.

Look Out Windows

2008-03-20T19:59:00.001-04:00

Take time to pause for a moment and look out a window. Just pause. Stop walking so hurriedly (if you're in a crowded hallway, take care not to stop suddenly). Where are you going that's so important you can't even stop to enjoy the view of the outside world? How many hours do you spend looking at a computer screen that isn't even half as interesting as a window?

As you look out the window, you might feel the urge to go outside. At lunch break, or after work/school/whatever, do it! Go outside and sit for a moment, or walk around in a leisurely manner. Pay attention to your senses. Feel the sun on your head and shoulders, the wind on your skin, and the ground or pavement under your shoes. Smell pine trees or flowers, or the hot dogs cooking at the stand down the street. See the blue-gray sky, the multitudes of people or the lack of people, and the shapes of the things around you. Learn to appreciate the beauty of both countryside and city. See the city as a giant jungle gym, or a computer chip, or anything that you find interesting.

Look out windows, and see more than what others see.

Unmarked Doors

2008-03-18T19:55:00.002-04:00

Is there a door at your school or your office that you've never been through? That door in the hallway, with no label on it. What's behind it? Go look. Do the same thing everywhere. If you see a door, and there are no "MEMBERS ONLY" signs on it, go ahead and look. No one will throw you out. If you get in trouble, just say you were looking for the bathroom. I know, it's an old one, but it still works.

I've found some very interesting rooms by doing this. For instance, at my church there's a section of the upstairs hallway that has three doors. They're all unmarked, and usually locked. I was in the habit of touching every doorknob whenever I walked by, just waiting for my chance. One day, one was unlocked, and of course I opened it. It led to a room that was behind part of a wall of the sanctuary! It was so cool! I was above the choir loft, looking through a screen. And the coolest part of all: the organ pipes were in there! I rapped my knuckles on a few of them and listened to the hollow notes they made. I was glad I opened the door.

So far, I've had very few, and I mean VERY few negative experiences resulting from opening unmarked doors. So go ahead and try it. There has to be at least one door somewhere that you've been wondering about.

Learn a Language

2008-03-16T20:54:00.001-04:00

One extremely rewarding experience can be learning a foreign language. Besides the fact that some languages are very beautiful on their own, usually a new language will introduce you to a new culture that will spark your curiosity and stimulate your mind. You can make new friends among those that speak the foreign language, try interesting cuisines, and see beautiful scenery if you travel to other countries. Furthermore, being able to speak a second language looks very good on your resume, because many companies are now making changes in order to cater to a more diverse customer base.

As for which language to learn, these are just a few possibilities:

Spanish is a great language to learn, especially with the increasing Latino population in the United States, because it opens up a new world of people you can converse with. It is relatively easy to learn, both because of the availability of resources and its similarity to English. It is also a very lovely language.

Latin is a "dead language," but regardless of that, I studied it for three years and found it to be very rewarding. Knowing Latin roots has enabled me to correctly guess the meaning of English words I've never seen before. It also helped me to remember vocabulary words when I studied Spanish for a year, because all of the Romance languages come from Latin.

Currently my favorite language is Russian. I really enjoy learning it. It isn't very common in the U.S., but I'm fascinated by it and I think it's a beautiful language. I hope to travel to Russia in a few years, when I save up the money, and for now I'm working on attaining conversational skills. The internet has a vast amount of resources for learning Russian, for which I am very grateful.

Spanish, Chinese, Russian, German, Italian, French, Arabic... the list goes on and on. Pick a language and learn it!

As you read the next section, keep in mind that there are four aspects to language proficiency: literary (understanding what you read), written (being able to construct sentences on paper), auditory (understanding what you hear), and oral (being able to construct sentences aloud). Though written and oral proficiency appear similar, they are separate aspects due to the way the human brain processes language.

A Suggested Method:
First, learn the language's alphabet. Listen to how each letter is spoken, and practice your pronunciation. Gain proficiency with it before moving on to vocabulary. Learn a lot of words, ideally by seeing them in sentences. Repeat the sentences out loud, concentrating on proper pronunciation. If you regularly see and hear words used correctly in sentences, you will slowly gain an intuitive understanding of proper syntax. Learn to conjugate verbs. This can take a while if the language has a lot of different conjugations (Latin is notorious for that).
Once you have a basic set of vocabulary words, try reading children's books. If they are available, listen to children's audio books as well. Gradually increase book difficulty. After you read the books, try to write a summary of them. Over time, stop writing the summaries and instead talk about the books out loud. Find a native of the language and become friends with him or her, and practice your language skills as often as you can. Never worry about looking or sounding silly. Many people are glad to see someone trying to learn their language (including me, for English), and many of those same people are willing to help you learn.

If you are aiming for fluency, your ultimate goal should be to be able to have deep conversations with someone in your chosen foreign language, and to be able to read and write book-quality material.

Online Language Resources:
Word2Word (free)
Mango Languages (free limited trial)
BBC (free)
Language Online (free)

Run to Hawaii

2008-03-13T13:22:00.000-04:00

Running or walking long distances can get dull and repetitive. Some people (like me) can get very tired of running or walking simply to stay fit. For added motivation, here's an idea: run to Hawaii.

What? All the way across America? And on the ocean?! Well, no. I don't mean actually running there.

Keep track of your mileage for your runs or walks. Make a chart on your wall or your computer, and make a little "X" for every mile you complete. When you reach your "destination," reward yourself. Go out to dinner, party with some good friends, or maybe actually take a vacation in Hawaii. You earned it!

Obviously, Hawaii isn't the only imaginary destination. You can choose any place in the world: New York, Paris, the beach, the circumference of the earth (if you're like Rosie, you can run around the world for real!) This is where you get to use your imagination. You can visualize your destination as you run, letting it encourage you and push you onward.

Get Fit by Running

2008-03-11T11:01:00.006-04:00

There are hundreds of ways to get fit and stay in shape, but running is near the very top of the list. There is no training, because everyone knows how to run. There are no membership fees. You don't need to drive somewhere (unless you want to see new scenery!). Good running shoes are the only equipment you need to buy. You can just throw on some clothes, lace up your shoes, and run out the door. Be sure to stretch, though, before and after your run. Stretch lightly beforehand, just gently moving your limbs through their full range of motion. Afterwards when your muscles are warm and loose, do deeper stretches, especially targeting your leg muscles.

When is the best time to run? That depends on the person. If you're an early riser, then running in the morning before school or work can be a rewarding experience. Most people haven't even eaten breakfast, but you've already completed your exercise for the day and you feel great! Also, in the summer the mornings tend to be the coolest parts of the day. I never enjoy running when it's extremely hot out. Assuming you're busy during the day, late afternoon is the next option. Late afternoon runs are especially nice in the fall and spring, because you might have a great view of the sunset as you run. They also tend to be warmer, which is good in winter, but not summer. Evenings are the third and final option (unless you are nocturnal). Evenings are great in those hot summer months. Everything starts to cool down, and you can hear the cicada songs.

Running is much more portable than a gym. You can go anywhere. If you aren't satisfied with the streets of your neighborhood, parks make a wonderful running location. Also, if your city has a network of greenways, those are marvelous.

There are many running plans available online and in books. I tried a 13-week program a while ago, but I found that it wasn't what I wanted. I had to keep checking my watch to make sure I ran for the designated time, then walked, then ran again--I was concentrating on time so much that I wasn't paying attention to my running. I gave up on the plans and started simply running. I never wear a watch anymore, because time isn't my concern. I run for the sake of running. After running like that for a week or two, I began really enjoying my runs. So, if you feel like a timed plan will help you, feel free to use one. If you feel like a timed plan will hinder your development, then don't use one. Try to improve on your own. Simply run as far as you can, and then run just a little farther.

By the way, running is very tough, especially if you've never run regularly before. Your lungs will burn, your legs will burn, and you will sweat. It's all worth it when you reach the point where you can run for miles without fatigue, or when you finish a marathon, or--if you're competitive--when you win a race. But until that point, it's a lot of hard work. When I feel the pain of running, I often get encouragement from a quote by Jacqueline Gareau, a Boston Marathon champion. She said, "The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed." Do you have that will?

Oh, and uh, consult your doctor before starting any fitness program...[insert legal jargon here]. If you have bad knees or asthma, running can aggravate your condition. Listen to your body. Use your common sense.

Further Reading:
Stretching Tips and Advice
Run-Mapping Website

Rise Early

2008-03-09T08:05:00.000-04:00

If you want more energy throughout the day and a more cheerful mood in the mornings, give early rising a try for just six weeks and see if it makes a difference. Start slow: go to bed and wake up 15 minutes earlier for each of four weeks until you are going to sleep and waking up an hour earlier. For the last 2 weeks, maintain that time.

What do you do during that morning hour?

Go on a walk, read a book, or work on some hobby you enjoy. You have a whole hour! Eat a leisurely breakfast. Encourage a spouse or child to wake up with you, and spend quality time together. Think creatively. Any ideas? There are lots of things you can do. I love to wake up early and go outside. I walk around my neighborhood and relax. In the winter if it's too cold or rainy, I listen to music and dance. Mornings have become my favorite part of the day.

A few tips:

If you have trouble getting up with your alarm, set it on the other side of the room so you have to get up to turn it off. Take a few deep, slow breaths, and shake your limbs to get your blood pumping to make sure you stay up.
Cut down on (or eliminate, if you're daring enough) coffee or other caffeinated beverages.
Don't do strenuous exercise in the evenings.
If you feel you must nap at some time during the day, early afternoon is best.
Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to make it most effective. Go to bed when you feel tired.
Find a buddy to talk to in the mornings if you don't like solitude.

Mission Statement

2008-03-06T15:02:00.000-05:00

An extremely effective first step in changing your life is to find your personal mission statement. This gives you a description of how you want to live (and, in effect, how you want to be remembered after you die). A mission statement will give you an overarching sense of direction. It's not a road map telling you exactly what to do in your life, but it is a compass, always pointing toward your ultimate objectives.

Writing a mission statement can be pretty intimidating, especially if you've never seen one before or if you aren't especially introspective. There are many ways to go about writing your mission statement, but I'll share the way that worked best for me.

Find a quiet place during your free time and settle down with some paper and a pencil. Then follow these steps:

1. Identify Your Life's Areas and Concerns
Make a double-spaced list on a piece of paper, naming roles (student, friend, daughter, etc.) and concerns (money, possessions, community, etc.). Think of everything you spend time or energy on. I ended up with 8 different roles/concerns, but you might think of any number.

2. Conceptualize Your Goals
Next to each role/concern, write down a list of any words that describe what you want to do or be in relation to that role/concern. For instance, next to "community" I wrote, "hospitable, reliable, supportive, active, planning, innovative, revolutionary, leadership, responsible." These aren't necessarily qualities I already have: they're simply ideals of how I want to be.

3. Prune Your Lists
Examine each role/concern's list and narrow it down to a couple of key concepts. When I narrowed down my community list, I found two words that summed up the ideas I had. I want to be a responsible member of the community, pulling my own weight and helping others; and I want to be revolutionary, meaning that I am not afraid to change policies and standards that are broken in order to create better ones.

4. Assemble the Themes
I ended up with 16 descriptive words (two for each role/concern). I examined my words carefully, looking for common themes. I summarized the themes in one sentence. That sentence became my mission statement. You can write your own statement however you want, as long as it's meaningful to you.

If this method doesn't work for you, look for other ways! The internet has plenty of resources, as well as your local library (or, if you like to spend money, bookstores).

Further Reading:
Wikipedia
Mission Statement Builder
TimeThoughts Guidelines

Sponsored Links:

Try New Things

2008-03-04T11:03:00.004-05:00

I am extending an invitation to you, to try new things. Explore the world around you. Meet new people, discover new places, and look at life from new perspectives. With a little imagination and childlike curiosity, new doors will open and life will sparkle more. Do you want every day to be a copy of the previous one? A life without new experiences or ideas would be monotonous and stagnant. Life should have vitality and freshness.

I invite you to investigate unfamiliar things, learn about topics you don't understand, and follow your interests and passions.

Be curious; live curious.