Attitude and curiosity

Attitude

Last time we talked about having a framework, a simple set of ideas for conducting the experiment of living our lives. It is also useful to consider our attitude. Attitude is the way in which you choose to go about your experiment.

The attitude you choose influences what you do and what you experience. You may choose the attitude of a seeker. In that case, you are searching, or looking, for something. The challenge is that to look for something, you need to know what you are going to find. For instance, when I misplace my keys, if I do not know what they look like I won’t be able to find them. When you let go of preconceived ideas, predictions and assumptions, you are better able to notice what is actually happening, instead of dedicating energy to try to find out why things are different from your expectations. When free from preconceptions, you can actually experience directly what is taking place. If you already think you know, you are more likely to focus your perception on being right and on seeing what you think you “should” see. So, for this journey it is helpful to adopt instead the attitude of an explorer, scientist, or artist, as captured in Pablo Picasso’s words, “I do not seek. I find.”

Another key attitude is curiosity. Curiosity is a genuine desire to understand, which infuses your actions with the energy of discovery. Curiosity tends to be more fruitful in supporting your full participation in your own life. Since life is changing all the time, nobody knows what will happen. Nobody has been in this moment before, so we are all improvising! What happens when you shift your energy from predicting to being curious? What are you curious about? What ignites your curiosity?

Lastly, since your life is your own project, it is essential that you make your own choices instead of letting others decide things for you. Of course, having a useful framework and attitude is helpful only if they make sense to you… and if you actually use them. So, during this week I invite you to examine which attitude or attitudes do you have during your day-to-day life and activities. For example, what attitude do you have when you get up in the morning? What is your attitude when you have to work? And what attitude do you use when you are going to do what you like the most? Can the yogic framework help you choose the right attitude for each activity?

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This is an excerpt from the book Unravel the thread: Applying the ancient wisdom of yoga to live a happy life

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