Why Curiosity Needs To Be In Your System Every Day

Summary

Agnes Laurens discusses the importance of incorporating curiosity and daily learning into our lives for personal growth and happiness.

Abstract

Agnes Laurens, a writer and violinist, emphasizes the significance of maintaining curiosity and continuous learning in our daily routines. She argues that while we may not always be conscious of our learning, engaging with new information or skills, whether big or small, enhances our well-being and cognitive abilities. Laurens shares her personal experience of rediscovering her passion for the violin after a hiatus, which led to a realization of being stuck in time and the joy of re-engaging with a past hobby. She advocates for the habit of learning something new every day, suggesting that it not only increases happiness but also keeps the brain active and improves productivity. Laurens also reflects on her role as a concertmaster, where she learned valuable lessons about leadership and the importance of perseverance in the face of challenges.

Opinions

Curiosity is inherent in humans, and it is beneficial to engage with it daily.
Learning new things, regardless of their size or scope, contributes to personal happiness and brain training.
Being conscious of daily learning can lead to a more fulfilling life.
Re-engaging with a forgotten hobby or skill can provide a sense of relief and new opportunities.
Persistence in pursuing knowledge and mastery of a subject is crucial, even when faced with resistance or setbacks.
Productivity can be enhanced by channeling curiosity effectively.
Laurens values the lessons learned from her experiences, both positive and negative, and encourages others to adopt a similar mindset of continuous learning and curiosity.

Every now and then we do new things in our lives. That’s a good thing, right?

Are we curious every day? Do we need to be curious every day? I think curiosity is in our body and brain system. We want to learn new things or habits. But we don’t do that very often. At least we are not in the moment to be curious. Being curious happens now and then. That is good too because you don’t have to shake your brain all the time with new information.

I have realized that when you are willing to learn every single day something new you have never known before, your happiness increase, but also your brain will be trained to learn. Learning new things, habits or subjects could be small things, but also big things. Like cooking a new recipe, read more information about your favorite pop star or football club, the flowers you let grow into your garden and how to water them, new beauty products to get better skin. All your brain is doing, is increasing the ability to use your brain.

Everything for a better lifestyle. Sometimes we are learning every day, but not consciousness. Before we know it, the day has gone by, too fast, and have we known what we learned that day? I don’t§ think you have. Have you ever thought about that? Maybe you haven’t. At least, I haven’t thought about that I realized being conscious and learning new things every day. What happens when you can say you learned new every day? I learned that I smiled much more when know what I have learned.

In every stage of our lives, we find new things we love to do or pick up a hobby we left years ago, no matter what the reason was. In these years some changes in the industry give you the feeling you stuck in time. And that you don’t know if you’re able to do that thing again.

That was, for me, in 2011. I hadn’t played the violin for a few years. I didn’t know if my playing level was still the same as when I stopped three or four years before. So, I started playing the violin under my level for a few years, with an orchestra in my village. The people were nice, but they really couldn’t play well.

The point is, after these years with this orchestra, I realized I got stuck in time and I didn’t know what music really should sound like. Like I had unlearned that thing I used to love to do. It so weird to realize that. It felt incredible and weird at the same time. It was weird because I never thought about it like this. It was incredible because I had new chances. When I got the chance to step in with a better orchestra, I stayed with them and left the orchestra. In a certain way, I was relieved as well.

I also stepped in as a concertmaster a few years ago. As said earlier, they gave me the assignment to think about how to use the bowings and the fingerings. The orchestra members didn’t listen to my suggestions, but the board members were backing me up all the time including the conductor. But at least, I learned how to be a concertmaster. And I learned my lessons and I won’t be their concertmaster again, only if the sphere will get better.

When I see something I want to master as well (besides playing the violin or other than classical music), I read everything about it. Then I could be busy with the subject for days, maybe for weeks. But I always keep in mind to be curious. The challenge is to be more productive when you use curiosity.

So I would say to make it a habit: learn new things every day.

Agnes Laurens is a writer. She writes for the local newspaper. Agnes lives in Bunnik, The Netherlands, with her husband and three daughters. Writing is — aside from playing the violin — one of her passions since childhood. She is on Twitter and Instagram.

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