Moment # 1 – Discovery – “Discoveries keep our minds alert.”
Discovery happens when you learn something new about a person, place, thing, or situation.
Vampire bats are real. They suck the blood of sleeping animals, such as cattle and pigs; and they are a vector for the spread of rabies. They are mainly found in Central and South America.
Unless you are a bat enthusiast, you have probably learned something new when you read the passage above. You have just experienced what I call discovery.
Some discovery examples:
You discover that your teacher’s name is Lisa.
You find out that your son is gay.
The innocent girl in the movie you’re watching suddenly pulls out a bloody ax inside her petticoat.
You order something new from a menu. After your first bite, you discover that you don’t like it.
You watch a nature show and learn about loggerhead sea turtles.
What you discover may be minor information (your spouse forgot to take the clothes to the dry cleaner) or a life-changing event (you receive a phone call saying that your mother passed away). Each and every discovery we make keeps us thinking and processing information. Discoveries keep our minds alert. You can sit back and let life throw discoveries at you, or you can go out and make some discoveries on your own. It doesn’t take much to make a few discoveries every day.
Discovery In A Relationship: Do You Know Everything There Is To Know About Your Spouse? Talk to your partner about her past, her wishes, or the things that upset her. However, a word of caution. Suddenly asking questions about a person’s past may seem strange to someone who is used to their normal way of communicating. In fact, you may find that it is easier to make discoveries about someone new in your life than to learn about someone you have known for a long time.
Discovery in Books – There are endless discoveries before you at your local library or even on the internet. You can focus on the internet for a few minutes a day and discover all sorts of things about current events, history, or even the intricate details of a celebrity’s life.
Discovery in movies: watching a movie is a whole process of discovery. From the opening credits to the ending scene, you constantly learn about the characters and situations that come your way. A great movie will captivate you from start to finish and will have discoveries cleverly placed within the story so you keep guessing what the outcome will be. The next time you watch a movie, pay close attention to the information that is presented to you. A well-crafted movie will have multiple discoveries in each scene.
Discovery While Driving: Most of us walk the same way to work every day. I say change your way. Take a freeway instead of side streets. Take side streets instead of a highway. Turn left instead of right. Go the longest way. Park a few blocks from work and walk the rest of the way. Break your routine. Let the discovery of new buildings, cars, streets, etc. enter your mind. I guarantee that the first day you drive down a new road to work, you will be more focused on driving; And you’ll be more in the now than you’ve been in quite some time.
Discovery in a new relationship: When we become romantically involved with a new partner, it is inevitable that we will experience a multitude of discoveries in the first few months of meeting this person. We discover the habits, strengths and weaknesses of our partner. We learn the insecurities and things that bother you from this person. We find out what makes this person laugh and what makes them angry. We learn which restaurants our partner prefers and what kind of food our partner enjoys. As you learn all of these things, your partner is learning about you as well. In fact, the first few months of a new relationship are always exciting. Not only do they have countless discoveries of each other, but if they take the time to experience new things together, they will both share a discovery as a couple. However, once the discoveries become less and less frequent (at least as far as learning from each other), you begin to discover if their level of compatibility is high enough to survive without the added benefit of constant discovery.
Discovery in a restaurant: try a new restaurant. Or, the next time you go to your favorite restaurant, take a seat where you normally would never sit. If the thought of sitting at the counter at your favorite coffee shop makes you uncomfortable, be sure to sit there the next time you go. You will discover a whole new perspective of the same place that you have visited for years.
If you feel stuck in a rut and find daily life a bit monotonous, try mixing up your lifestyle and actively seeking discoveries.
Take the bus to work.
Visit an art gallery.
The next time you are in a public place, sit or stand somewhere that would otherwise make you uncomfortable for whatever reason. Immerse yourself in the new perspective, even if it bothers you.
Hit the gym at a different time of day or join a new gym entirely.
Find a 24-hour restaurant and go eat there at 3 a.m. M.
Rent a really nice car, one that you can’t afford to buy. Or better yet, rent a wreck so you don’t get caught driving dead.
Visit a place where English is not the main language and learn what it is like to be a foreigner.
Listen to a new radio station.
Learn how to prepare a gourmet dinner.
Discoveries are everywhere, waiting for us to experience them. However, the more experience we have in life, the less impact our discoveries will have.
When we are children, all we see is a great discovery. Children’s life is a great discovery. When we have children, life’s discoveries are revisited as our children begin to grow. Only as we age do discoveries become less frequent and less significant. At that point in life, it is our responsibility to seek them out for ourselves.
The next part of this series of articles is titled How to Improve Your Quality of Life Using the Seven Moments – Moment # 2
“This is a multi-part article submission with excerpts straight from my Life: The Seven Moments book that really matter. Enjoy. – Christian Blake.”