<span style="font-size: 16px;">by Amy Temperly</span> <h2><span style="font-size: 20px;">My life crisis</span></h2> <span style="font-size: 20px;">Recently I had a life crisis. Maybe you had one of these little gems at some point. Life is smooth, </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">and then all of a sudden, nothing feels right and you just don’t know who you are anymore. These episodes tend </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">to happen during transitional times of our lives and often throw us for a loop. My recent crisis </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">brought me to a point where I second guessed my whole existence. I wanted to live my life </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">authentically, in a way that reflected my true self and to live a fulfilling life. I became curious about the true “me” and what I </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">really wanted. </span> <h2><span style="font-size: 20px;">How curiosity helps us live authentically</span></h2> <span style="font-size: 20px;">A research study by Seligman and Peterson found that of the 24 strengths that lead to </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">happiness, curiosity was one of the five most highly associated with living a better life. </span> <span style="font-size: 20px;">● Experiencing overall life fulfilment and happiness</span> <span style="font-size: 20px;">● Taking satisfaction from one’s work</span> <span style="font-size: 20px;">● Living a pleasurable life</span> <span style="font-size: 20px;">● Living an engaging life</span> <span style="font-size: 20px;">● Living a meaningful life</span> <h2><span style="font-size: 20px;">So, what does it mean to be curious? </span></h2> <span style="font-size: 20px;">In the book, </span><span style="font-size: 20px;"><em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061661198/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061661198&linkCode=as2&tag=50plustoday0b-20&linkId=3b6d20bc7ec14c7dcce3ab9499d15034" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Curious?: Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life</a><img style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=50plustoday0b-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0061661198" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" /></em>, Todd Kashdan discusses curiosity as a method to help us find happiness in our lives. </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">Kashdan writes,</span> <blockquote><span style="font-size: 20px;"> “Curiosity is different than other ways of being fulfilled in that it’s about appreciating </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">and seeking out the new. It’s about being flexible, recognizing the novelty and freshness of the familiar. </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">Instead of trying desperately to explain and control our world, as a <strong>curious explorer</strong> we embrace </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">uncertainty. Instead of trying to be certain and confident, we see our lives as an enjoyable quest to </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">discover, learn, and grow.”</span></blockquote> <span style="font-size: 20px;"> I love the term curious explorer!</span> <h2><span style="font-size: 20px;">Ask yourself questions to create the life you want</span></h2> <span style="font-size: 20px;">As we work to create the life we desire, we must be curious about our world, our values, our </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">relationships, and ourselves. The journey to happiness includes not only stopping to smell the roses, but</span><span style="font-size: 20px;"> asking questions like “Why are they red? How long will they bloom? Who planted them here? </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">How can I nurture them? What would happen if I put them in a vase with some daisies?” Through </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">curiosity, we gain a new perspective on our world and insight into who we are and what's </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">important to us. We also can find joy in things that typically may cause stress or confusion.</span> <img class="alignnone wp-image-35531 " src="https://50plus-today.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/curious-explorer-200x300.jpeg" alt="live a fulfilling life" width="405" height="608" /> <h2><span style="font-size: 20px;">Open up to new opportunities</span></h2> <span style="font-size: 20px;">I tackled my life crisis with curiosity about where I was and where I wanted to be. I asked </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">myself questions like: “What do I really want? Where do I find joy? In a perfect world, what does my </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">future look like? What is the first step I can take to make a change?” </span> <span style="font-size: 20px;">This curiosity eventually led me to </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">start two businesses and focus on previously neglected hobbies like gardening and hiking. I</span> <span style="font-size: 20px;">consciously noted what made me smile and what situations caused anxiety or dis</span><span style="font-size: 20px;">comfort. I thought about my values and what I wanted to accomplish in this short but important life of </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">mine. I opened myself up to new opportunities I </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">previously didn't even consider.</span> <h2><span style="font-size: 20px;">Live a fulfilling life </span></h2> <span style="font-size: 20px;">Life is an endless stream of transition and <a href="https://50plus-today.com/things-change-so-can-i/">change.</a> And y</span><span style="font-size: 20px;">ou can’t stop what you can't control. With curiosity, though, you </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">can make the journey both more pleasurable and easier to navigate. When life is stagnant or provokes </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">anxiety, asking questions helps create unexpected moments of learning and joy.</span> <span style="font-size: 20px;">So what are you curious about?</span> <strong>About the Author:</strong> <img class="wp-image-35359 alignleft" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; display: inline; float: left; margin-right: 15px;" src="https://i0.wp.com/50plus-today.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Amy-headshot-2-2018-e1608743155402-150x150.jpg?resize=121%2C121&ssl=1" sizes="(max-width: 121px) 100vw, 121px" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/50plus-today.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Amy-headshot-2-2018-e1608743155402.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i1.wp.com/50plus-today.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Amy-headshot-2-2018-e1608743155402.jpg?resize=50%2C50&ssl=1 50w, https://i1.wp.com/50plus-today.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Amy-headshot-2-2018-e1608743155402.jpg?w=242&ssl=1 242w" alt="Amy Temperly" width="121" height="121" data-attachment-id="35359" data-permalink="https://50plus-today.com/keep-calm-and-carry-on/amy-headshot-2-2018/" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/50plus-today.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Amy-headshot-2-2018-e1608743155402.jpg?fit=242%2C240&ssl=1" data-orig-size="242,240" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"\u00a9 Tyeschea West","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Amy Temperly" data-image-description="<p>Amy Temperly, Aging is Cool</p> " data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/50plus-today.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Amy-headshot-2-2018-e1608743155402.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/50plus-today.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Amy-headshot-2-2018-e1608743155402.jpg?fit=242%2C240&ssl=1" data-recalc-dims="1" />Amy Temperley is an entrepreneur and innovator with a passion for creating change in communities. She owns two businesses, <a href="https://www.agingiscool.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aging is Cool</a> and <a href="https://www.temperleyconsulting.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Temperley Consulting</a> and lives in Kyle, Texas with her English husband and 4 dogs. <div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"> <div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"> <h3 class="sd-title"></h3> </div> </div>
