Word-Of-the-Week #673: Curiosity
June 29, 2017 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #673: Curiosity
Curiosity – noticing and being drawn to things we find interesting; inquisitiveness.
How curious are you? Do you take time to actually notice your surroundings? How often are you drawn to things you find interesting or question?
This week’s WOW comes from the actions of my forever man and love of my life, Chris. He had taken this picture on the Isle of Islay in Scotland when we there for the Whisky Festival the first part of June. He showed me and said, “Do you know where I took this?” To which I responded, “No.”
And then he proceeded to tell me that he had just taken it on our walk back to our B &B in the town of Bowmore. We had just arrived and were both exploring and enjoying our sweet little village on the water. Then he asked me, “Do you know how I found it? I saw one loose board on the front of the building and slid it to the side and peeked inside. And this is what I found! I wonder how long that stuff has been sitting in that garage. And what’s the story behind it?”
It occurred to me that I had completely missed what he saw and thought how great it was that he had been inquisitive enough to do that. I never thought of him as being curious. And clearly it happens most often when he has a camera in his hand!
And I just wish I would have taken a picture of the old boarded up, nondescript facade. I’m sure most people that pass it on the street never give it a second glance!
Chris is always saying to me, “You are always looking for the oyster with the pearl.” And I would have to agree that’s true. But I think this time he found the pearl. What do you think?
So that spurred me to do some research and I found “The Power of Curiosity. Discover how cultivating an inquiring mind can help you lead a happier, healthier life,” by Todd Kashdan. He writes, “What do you want most in life? For the vast majority of us, the answer is “to be happy.”In a 2007 survey of more than 10,000 people from 48 countries published in Perspectives on Psychological Sciences, happiness was viewed as more important than success, intelligence, knowledge, maturity, wisdom, relationships, wealth and meaning in life.
Happiness is a good thing. Yet, both in my professional research and in my personal experience, I’ve observed that when we focus solely on what we think will make us happy, we can lose track of what actually does.
In 2007 the Princeton economist Alan Krueger, Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman and their colleagues published a paper called “Are We Having More Fun Yet?”( I REALLY like the title!)They posed this question: Have the social progress, economic prosperity and technological advancements of the past 50 years changed the quality of our lives? Have these new opportunities allowed us to spend more time doing what we care about most, thus increasing our satisfaction and meaning in life?
For most of us, the answer is no. The majority of Americans spend less than 20 percent of each day doing what could be termed very engaging, enjoyable and meaningful activities (such as talking with close friends, bonding with loved ones, creating, playing, or pursuing a spiritual practice). Instead, most of our time and energy are spent either engaged in unsatisfying work activities and chores (commuting, standing in line at the post office, fixing broken appliances), or decompressing in ways that bring neither joy nor challenge (watching TV, snacking or just “doing nothing”).
It doesn’t have to be this way, though — if we’re willing to shake up our pursuit of happiness by introducing some elements of surprise.
One of the most reliable and overlooked keys to happiness is cultivating and exercising our innate sense of curiosity. That’s because curiosity — a state of active interest or genuinely wanting to know more about something — creates an openness to unfamiliar experiences, laying the groundwork for greater opportunities to experience discovery, joy and delight.
I don’t know about you but I LOVE the joy & delight of unfamiliar experiences & surprises! This week focus on having more curiosity. What genuinely interests you? What would you like to know more about? How open are you to unfamiliar experiences?
Stay Tuned! Next week the 5 Benefits of an Inquiring Mind.
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FUN-travel: UK & Whisky Festival Trip Recap
June 26, 2017 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: UK & Whisky Festival Trip Recap
Our tasting at the Bowmore House
- I learned a whole lot at “Scotch School”…
…and drank more single malt whisky in 5 days…
…than in my entire life…
…just wee little drams mind you…
…and some just a wee little bit bigger!
- My personal favorites were the ones finished in a sherry cask.
And we were so LUCKY to have gotten a room in Islay at the Bowmore House B&B. The first week of January not a room was to be found. And then by magic…one opened up! Andrew, the owner, made the trip so much more memorable and a totally different experience! We would have never had the 2 special tastings or benefited from the wealth of whisky knowledge he has.
- And while I now have an appreciation for fine whiskies…
…my distilled spirit of choice…
…is still an extra dry Gin martini straight up!
Many people we encountered during our trip said, “I hope you’re having a good time.” To which my response was, “There is no other option. It’s compulsory!” That’s pretty much how I feel about travel. I WILL always have a GOOD TIME!
Ardbeg Fesitval Day
Also many people were concerned that we were traveling to the UK so soon after the Manchester bombing. But we believe it is never safer to travel then when there’s been an incident like that. Everyone was on high alert. Then the London Bridge terror attack happened.
Hairy Coo (as they pronounce them)
We were never anywhere near a big city, let alone a big town, other than Glasgow for a train to plane change. A terror attack can happen anywhere in the world and unfortunately it’s becoming far too common these days. But it will never make us so fearful that we wouldn’t travel.
- That being said…
…it makes us very, very happy we are…
…almost at the end of our bucket list!
FUN-fact – Our Daily UK Weather Report – sunshine mixed with clouds and rain. And that was pretty much it. Only caught a few occasional short sprinkles until the last day when it was pretty wet in Oban. And when we arrived in Paisley before our flight to Islay. It took longer to take a cab then to walk 500 meters to the Ashtree House Hotel. Big thanks to Chris for packing those umbrellas!
Word-Of-the-Week #672: Tolerate
June 22, 2017 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #672: Tolerate
Tolerate – put up with something or somebody unpleasant.
How often do you find yourself putting up with something or somebody being unpleasant? How do you deal with it? Do you retreat or address the situation or person?
This week’s WOW comes from long time subscriber Kim regarding a past WOW on Respect. She wrote, “This week’s word really hit home. I work in a small office and there is a young lady that pretty much offends everyone because she is disrespectful.
She is pleasant enough most of the time, but she is condescending and if anything is wrong, it is never any fault of her own. People have to work out a way to avoid dealing with her, instead of just doing their work and engaging in a normal way.
It IS exhausting, and frustrating that everyone feels like they have to give in to her because she has no shame, and they want to avoid a confrontation. She even jokes sometimes at how much of a bitch she is, which isn’t funny to anyone.
When confronted though, just like a school yard bully, she backs down, but the energy to do that is taxing. The easiest way I have found is to address it as it comes. I have worked with her for 6 years, and within the first few months of her employment, I told her that I wasn’t going to engage in immature spats of “WHATever” and “FINE, we’ll do it YOUR way” and other such nonsensical responses.
I couldn’t stand the eye rolling, and her not making eye contact when having a conversation, so I asked my employer to remove me from joint projects with her. He wasn’t happy, but as we have downsized and he finds himself having to do more and more projects with her, he calls me and complains about her attitude and disrespect.
It is a real shame as she is intelligent, but people smile and tolerate her, mostly now out of pity, because she is 31 years old now, and there really isn’t anything endearing about her.
She is a hard worker and very thorough, too bad it isn’t nice to work with her because she doesn’t have: Respect – to show consideration for; treat courteously or kindly.”
All I can say is the older I get the less and less I tolerate. Life is just too short! This week’s focus is on finding a way to deal with somebody unpleasant so they don’t make your life unpleasant. Are you able to distance yourself from and ignore disrespectful people? Have you ever tried to “kill someone with kindness?” The “Shock Factor” works wonders and one I have used a lot. And lastly it is easier to change your behavior than to try and change someone else’s behavior!
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FUN-video – The UK & Whisky Festival – Movie Trailer
June 19, 2017 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-video – The UK & Whisky Festival – Movie Trailer
At 16 days, this was the shortest international trip we have taken since Chris retired in 2009. And it was great to travel with only a carry on bag. Enjoy!
FUN-photos: UK – Scotland
June 19, 2017 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-photos: UK – Scotland
The whole reason for taking this trip was to experience Fèis Ìle…The Islay Festival of Music and Malt!
- Whisky tasting is a whole lot like wine tasting. Swirl, smell, sip, swallow…and then the taste… …soft & subtle…or strong… smoky, spicy, salty, sweet?
After spending the night in Paisley, the town next to the Glasgow airport, and a short 45 minute flight we arrived in Islay at 9:15. That gave us 3 full days on the island, where we made it to 7 of the 8 distilleries, and tasted a record 35 different single malt whiskies!
- Our last two days were spent in Oban on the west coast and southern part of the Scottish Highlands. We took the ferry to Kennacraig where Alex & Barbara awaited us for the scenic 2 hour drive back to their home. We met them on our “Slow Boat to Singapore Cruise” in 2016. We had a lovely time exploring the sights, which included a tour of the Oban Distillery, and of course drinking more whisky!
By the end of our 5 days in Scotland, we had tasted a grand total of 45 single malt whiskies…plus 2 rhubarb gins (one with ginger added) & 2 liqueurs…mind you they were wee little tastes…
…some just a wee little bit bigger!
