Why Discovery is So Good for You
Words by Rebecca Deurlein
As much as I love the Blue Zone studies that have taught us how to live longer, healthier lives, I would like to be so bold as to suggest one factor not mentioned in those studies. It has to do with learning, discovering, and returning to a state of childlike wonder.
Think about how you felt the first time you stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon, or the last time you embarked on a personal journey you didn’t think you could finish but did. These experiences create a sense of wonder, pull us out of our daily—and oftentimes boring—routines, and remind us of the little miracles all around us.
Discovery of the world around us, discovery of what we can accomplish, and discovery of the small things that bring great joy, all contribute to overall health and longevity. But can hard-working, carpooling, overly scheduled adults find time to engage in discovery in our day-to-day lives? You bet we can. Here’s how.
Pay Attention to What Mesmerizes
There’s a reason people love to travel—it gets them out of their homes and exposes them to a new view, whether it is waves lapping at sand or mountains capped with snow. But you don’t have to book a flight to see something that makes you go, “Wow.” You can find the same sense of wonder from gazing at a beautiful painting in a museum, feeling the breeze and hearing the crunch of your feet on a forest floor, or getting a sweet whiff of a beautiful pastry just plucked from a bakery case. The key here is to stop and take note, to soak in the feelings that come with it, and to truly appreciate what you are witnessing or experiencing. It’s what psychologists mean when they encourage us to “be in the moment.”
If we look at the little things as beautiful miracles, our daily lives become beautiful miracles.
Challenge Yourself to Learn Something New
Did you know that your brain remains malleable during your entire lifetime? You might not be able to teach old dogs new tricks, but you can certainly teach yourself a new skill at any point in your long life. And you know what happens when you do? You discover things about yourself, you surprise yourself, you feed your motivation, and you boost your confidence.
Let’s say you love fresh pasta, but the thought of making your own dough, then turning that ball of sticky goo into noodles, makes you reach for a glass of wine. One day, you put that glass of wine down—right there where you can reach it—you follow a recipe, you slow down and enjoy the process, and ecco! You produce delicious noodles that taste like heaven and impress all your friends. Then you ask yourself, I wonder if I could try wheat noodles next?
You discover that with a little time and patience, you can learn a new skill, which in turn becomes a source of pride and motivation to learn more new skills. Maybe you even discover that cooking dinner can, with the right attitude and willingness to discover, feel less like a chore and more like an accomplishment.
Overcome a Fear
While hiking in Colorado, I passed a group of mountain climbers scaling a sheer rock face and said out loud, “Nope. No way. Those people are nuts.” I vowed that would never be me. Until I let a little group pressure push me out of my comfort zone—way, way, out—and I found myself dangling from a cliff, thousands of feet up, as I shifted my carabiners along a cable. It was my first via ferrata, and it was a heart racer. But you know what? I found myself concentrating on my mission, I put one foot in front of the other, and I let the group urge me on with positive reinforcement.
When I got to the top, my limbs shaking with equal parts exhaustion and exhilaration, I turned around and took in the 360-degree view of the majestic Rockies. It was one of the most empowering moments of my life, standing there, breathing heavily, and gazing down at how far I had come. I realized in that moment that when you overcome a long-standing fear, get a true understanding of the reality of whatever you’ve avoided, and accomplish something you never thought you could, it’s a life changer.
In that moment, I was positively joyous. How often do we feel that? Not often enough. Former NASA astronaut Frank Borman said, “Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.” If you’ve fallen victim to the same routine, habits, and mindsets, consider exploring what scares you, what challenges you, and what is all around you that you’ve failed to notice or appreciate.
Discover something every day and live not just a longer life, but a happier one.