Curiosity Experiment: 1000 Daily Questions

Can you make yourself more curious by consciously asking hundreds of questions? I believe you can, and it’s a great philosophy to ignite the flames of your soul with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. I feel more alive when I’m inquisitive about the world, and what’s interesting is how I’m sharper mentally when I’m curious about the things around me. For example, if I’m reading a novel, I love how I can see hidden and upcoming plots before they even arrived through questioning—it’s an interesting type of foresight. There’s a certain level of self satisfaction when I can understand what I wouldn’t otherwise grasp immediately through questions. That’s why I’m designing an experiment to ask as many questions as I possibly can.

To make knowledge meaningful in relation to yourself, that requires curiosity. Anyone can read a book and parrot back the facts like they teach in school, but how do you make it your own? I came across this discovery with making knowledge your own in Stoicism. How the great teachers like Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius and Diogenes (though he wasn’t a Stoic) spoke of how material goods were nothing, yet hearing it and deeply understanding this takes a little bit of questioning to arrive at real knowledge of it.

Why are material possessions less valuable than people think? Because at the end of your life, you take nothing with you other than your stories and experiences. Oh, you had your tomb encrusted in gold? So what… I’d rather be the poorest man in the world than the richest man in the graveyard. Look at any pharaoh of Egypt, how they were buried with immense treasures, and what good did it do them when the grave robbers came? Surely the only thing it did was to set vultures on him over the others. Even in death he has no sleep.

Money and material possessions are not the root of all evil either. It only becomes evil when you don’t understand the principles behind it. Money can bring tremendous and incredible relief to others when used correctly, but at the same time, you shouldn’t be a fool about it either. Never let anyone take advantage of you.

Why Ask Questions?

For me, asking questions makes life a more personalized experience. I like being aware of the world and having curious experiments to understand things. Even if they’re meaningless experiments, they’re still fun in the grand scheme of things. I ask questions because it brings my level of understanding up to a higher plane. Leonardo da Vinci was deemed the most curious man who ever lived and look at all the great accomplishments and gifts he had. Is that possible for the rest of us? I think anything is possible. Back in the 1700s, most people didn’t believe the commoners could learn to read and write, and now look at how many people know how to read and write. Over 90 percent just in the US is literate. If he would only spread his wings and fly, he could have it.

Not to mention, I get this sense that he probably had a deep appreciation for his life. Questions sharpen a purpose to your life, and they bring out the best you can give. I have always enjoyed having these personal thought experiments. Why? Because it lets me discover more and to tune my life into new and differing directions. I will end this post with my current questions I’m contemplating. Here are some of the questions I have about life right now:

• Why can you see in dreams without eyes?
• Why do animals act differently?
• What causes the snow to fall?
• Is snow just frozen rain?
• Is there an ultimate truth?
• How big is the universe truly?
• Is time travel really possible?
• What can the world invent that we have never seen before?
• If you had to create the symbol for the values of the big picture of your life, what would it represent?
• Looking back on your life, what were some of the most meaningful moments?
• Who were some of the most treasured people in your life?
• What is the ultimate meaning of life?
• Can you hold two opposite ideas in your mind without giving into one of them?
• What’s the meaning of suffering?
• Why is man so cruel?
• Is man’s underlying nature sinful?
• Why are people so wildly different?
• What creates different cultures?

A Dreamer Always has Another Dream

“A musician’s fingers are always willing to strum the chords and play another song, a writer’s pen eagerly inks another story, an artist’s brush, yet another colorful painting, and like all good dreamers, a dreamer’s soul will always dream of another dream.” —Squiggly

Long ago, I used to believe in and follow the self-help community, but I slowly started to feel disgust at these so-called self-help gurus (Tim Ferriss, Tony Robbins, Steve Pavlina, etc. etc. ) who made people believe they weren’t enough, but to follow their shiny bauble because they had all the answers. Like they’d commonly say, “Most people go to their grave never fulfilling their dreams.” All they do is to prey off people’s insecurities. As the Target saying goes, “Life’s a moving target.” throughout my life, I want more than just one dream and to keep living another story. I want to be the dreamer of all dreams, the master of songs, and an expert storyteller who puts people on the edge of their seats as they gather and listen around the campfire to another Squigman tale.

Nicaragua and Mexico: Closing the First Book of a Dream

The problem with having only one dream is where do you go from there if you only have one dream, and you achieved it? You might as well give up after you’ve accomplished it, for you will have nothing more to look forward to.

My first dream began in Nicaragua where I traveled and lived abroad and met some of God’s finest and most interesting people. Now, however, I have returned and gone home and the last pages of that first adventure have come to a fruitful end. I could get seriously depressed just sitting here after having accomplished and lived those dreams were I not preparing to strum the chords on my next adventure. I’m simply in a cool down period now where I’m acclimating my experiences while spending time with my family, but I’m honestly ready to go again as just sitting here is wicked boring.

Now truth be told, I could certainly die happier having lived even one of my first dreams, but I definitely want to visit many other countries and continue dreaming. My goal is to continue dreaming throughout my life, and though it may change forms and transform into another shape, I never want to fully stop with my dreams. I’m not living, the American Dream or only one dream. I’m living many dreams.

Lionheart Lessons: Alexander the Great

Having studied a little about Alexander the Great, I found him an extraordinary man. One of the key lessons I took from this legendary war commander was how he educated himself through Aristotle, and read one of Homer’s books, the Illiad, which sat underneath his pillow for the rest of his life. Alexander the Great lived so bravely, like he’d jump into the thicket of the fighting even if it meant risking his life. His key lesson was how it was better to burn out fast and burn brightly than to fade away slowly into insignificance. To live a life full of adventure and brilliance that was short, than to live a long life that was not fulfilling and devoid of enjoyment as sadness and despair sapped the strength from your bones. That’s how I plan to live my life as well. Though it’s possible I may not live to see old age, but I want to live a life full of many interesting and fun stories, and if I die in the process, I will know that I have at least lived.

Meant to Fly: The Human Plane

I watched a video last night that was spoken word poetry (my baby got me into it). Basically, it talked about how planes were not meant to sit on the ground. The most dangerous time for a plane was when they sat on the ground idle and unused because when they were parked, they started to rust and malfunction, more than when they were flying in the sky. As humans, we are also not meant to sit on the ground, and though when we fly there’s always a chance we could crash, our planes will still fare better than if we had never left the ground.

Having lived my first dream, I feel happier than if I had just stayed home and did nothing, and I could not regret such a life-giving adventure even if something bad were to happen because I would know that I had truly lived. Certainly it’s important to take care of yourself, but you don’t want to live so cautiously that it stops you from having fun and living your life. Let the jovial-hearted song of the jester inspire you to live a life of joy-filled adventure.

 

Do What Sparkles Your Soul

If eyes are the gateway to your soul, then what puts a twinkle in them should be sought out with reckless abandon. Why spend a minute not doing what you love? For me, personally, I love traveling, learning and meeting new and interesting people. I notice, I have more to talk about too when I live in the right way where I’m traveling and observing the differences between my homeland and the countries I’ve encountered (i.e. Nicaragua, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama). Whenever I’d go on a trip with my tour guide Guillermo in Nica, I felt so blissful and in the moment as my eyes strung a net around the memory of rolling mountains, grassy fields, tree branch fence posts and speeding/honking drivers. You’d see Nicaraguan men cutting the grass and shaving the trees with a machete. I’d watch every little detail and bask in the sunlight of it, as it brought a gleam to my eyes, a broad smile to my face and a nurturing, effervescent light to my soul.

Strength against Life’s Boxing Gloves

I read in the book called, “Curious?” that man does not commit suicide because of sadness. Nay. In fact, man commits suicide because of a neglectful number of joys in his life, so it actually becomes therapy to seek out fun activities. It rejuvenates and strengthens your spirit, seeing as how life’s hard-hitting boxing gloves will knock you out if given half a chance. Not to mention, the merciless punches will strike, but when you have happiness inside your heart, you can stand with feet firmly planted and face the day.

What if Survival Stops You from Pursuing Your Joys?

To do what you truly love, you will often have to put in your teeth guard, raise your boxing gloves and prepare to throw some ruthless punches and endure some hard-hitting blows. Perhaps you attend medical school and you suffer a lot because you have to study with weekly all-nighters for a better life. To just pursue what you love does not mean you walk away from your responsibilities. In fact, if you do that, you could find a pack of snarling dogs backing you into the corner of circumstances. I often have to write articles because it lets me put money away and travel. Also, hard work gives me peace of mind, and I know I’m improving my life in the process.

If survival stops you from pursuing your true passion, then use your survival outlet as a tool for gratitude because the discipline to fulfill your duty puts the key into the keyhole to unlock the gears of that iron gate to your true joys. In fact, if you can ignite a passion for the necessary work in your daily routine, you will live a much happier life.

Betterment, Not Blind Hedonism

After returning from Mexico, not a single soldier of doubt stood fighting on the battlefield. Everything I did and all the experiences and stories I had in the last nine months mowed down any fighter who’d say the opposite, and I know I made the right choice in going to Nicaragua and Mexico. This trip was not blind hedonism. Certainly I went to enjoy myself, but I hopped a plane from Minneapolis with the purpose of learning and growing as an individual, and every story I collected along the way made me certain I was right in my decision to go. I finally found what sparkles my soul. Honestly, the experience would have been bittersweet or just plain bitter without my friends in Nicaragua and my friends of Mexico. They amplified the experience to 10 times better than the lonely splat on the wall that it would have been otherwise. If you’re going to travel, you’ll have more fun with friends than alone.

 

 

 

Home Again: What Now?

I adventured for two months in Mexico and seven months in Nicaragua. I’m back in Minnesota now, but closing life’s book on Squiggly’s first Central American Adventure begs the question, “…what now?” Up until a little after New Year’s I have plans to stay in the United States, but what will I do with the time between May 11th and January?

Mushroom Farm: A Curious Entrepreneurial Project

Back in Nicaragua, I watched an eye-opening documentary about the value of mushrooms in our ecological environment, and they also talked about people who harvest them and sold them. I felt a deepening passion for the subject as my eyes sparkled at the possibilities of starting a mushroom farm. In Mexico and Nicaragua, I never knew for how long I planned to stay, so I couldn’t start a mushroom farm. Now, I can open a new book concerning a mushroom creation project.

More Learning Projects

Whenever I felt most synced and happy with life, I juggled several learning projects like Spanish or the violin. I’d like to dive deeper into current learning projects like descriptive writing to put a zap in my writing. In coming home, I will also be able to return to my regular violin lessons, which makes me so happy. In Nicaragua, I couldn’t find a teacher who spoke English, and in Mexico, I found a teacher, but he didn’t challenge me enough to grow as a violinist. I have also thought about setting an hour or two aside per day to learn Python.

Where to Next?

I don’t necessarily know my next destination in life, but I have a couple different fun ideas to play with and see what I can do with them. I’m hesitant to take on new learning projects because I’ve finally reached a point where I understand the commitment to them. Instead of filling up my day with several new projects, I’d rather deepen what I’m already doing and stretch my hand for mastery in the fields I have already chosen.