If you have a Cat or Curiosity...you are good

The sequence is less relevant, if you have any one of the two, heck both. Wondering why... you reveal curiosity, an indicator of a healthy intellect.

I have my pet cat, who posits and observes no rules. She favours some recognition of me at dinner time and ensures good manners so she is served her favourite jelly. For better parts of the day, she is a scout trooper in the backyard flumped under a shady tree spotting the birds, geckos, or rodents in her afternoon play-off, if not slumbering indoors (look no further, as above...).

I have been curious to journal her outings, but there is only little you can do having a pet who follows her calling. Frequently, I conjecture her whereabouts, until she shows up, that she never went outside through the narrow crevice of the backyard and would purr and act earnest.

One such afternoon as I was following her on my inquisitive trail and found lemons of different bulk that had fallen from the tree. I was happy with my find and picked those blondes to add some tart to my cooking. Did I mention that she was away on her trooper mission and I could no longer wait for her arrival given her usual meanderings.

I read that Curiosity leads to the activation of several areas of the brain, and connectivity between these regions is associated with learning. Then there is the neuroscience of curiosity, research demonstrates that being in a state of high curiosity enhances our memory for interesting information.

Research on curiosity suggests curiosity is linked to problem-solving and creativity. In the words of brilliant physicist Albert Einstein, “I have no special talent – I am only passionately curious.”

The door to exploration starts with asking the "why" and with that, you get led to the trail of unexplored territory where you ride and decide what course. Research has shown curiosity to be associated with higher levels of positive emotions, lower levels of anxiety, more satisfaction with life, and greater psychological well-being.

Now with unlimited internet and 5G, most of us have become keyboard researchers since Siri started answering queries without a lag. We spend time glued to a screen watching YouTube streams, refreshing RSS feeds, and clicking on recommendations to find writing worth reading or pursuing anything worthwhile.

Could the internet's endless supply be keeping you from your best curiosity finds?

When the internet was limited by its gigabytes, you would run up to the library to pick a book, open Brittanica to look up a person, step out to the local baker to buy the sourdough or sip the fresh coffee crushed at the grinder. Now there is an app to deliver things to the doorstep, and Google for any last trace of burgeoning curiosity.

The famous Afghan Sufi poet, mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273), also called by the honorific Mawlana leaned on curiosity towards self-discovery. His poems urged us to explore the frontiers that led to growth when he said “What you seek is seeking you” or “Lovely days don’t come to you, you should walk to them.” or his masterpiece "If Light Is In Your Heart You Will Find Your Way Home.’...

And if you thinking of the phrase curiosity killed the cat... remember that satisfaction brought it back!

Never lose your curious mind, infer what sparks your wonder, in that quest you might unwrap yourself. Now Go Find.......... !!!