Curiosity and awe are states linked to happiness and well-being. Today, take as long as you like to learn or practice something new. Learn some Maori words for a peek into a community centered culture. Practice a bit of QiGong or learn the basic positions of ballet. Had a rough week? Get your audio/visual medicine from the lulling voice and scenes of Bob Ross and paint some happy trees. If your medium is more musical, learn a new song on your instrument of choice. Don't have any instruments? Make one. Maybe try one of the experiments in "How to Win Science Fairs as a Grown Ass Adult".
If you feel the need to do something, er, more productive, I'll keep working on you. Learning is about exploring the world, and the experience of following your awe, passion and curiosity to new places. I suppose you could experience repairing that hole in your drywall or re-balance your washer. Might be awesome to have that sucker working. Mental Floss has a list of 50 skills you can learn on youtube, from boiling the perfect egg to teaching your cat to high five. Or take a tip from my sweetheart and learn to roast your own coffee using an old popcorn machine.
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Go local and learn the most common trees in your neighborhood, or which plants you see on a walk are invasives. Go astronomical and find out what's happening in space weather (which we eastern Europeans take VERY seriously): check out that unexpected aurora in Norway, or learn whether you should worry that cosmic rays are nearly a record high.
This challenge brought to you via inspiration from the filmed-in-apparent-real-time Bollywood movie I just finished (thus the late late hour). It followed three engineering students having the think hammered out of them in college as they were encouraged to memorize and regurgitate. The themes were all about the joy of true learning and curiosity. You think Hollywood tropes and endings are a thing? Hollywood humbles at the feet of the Bollywood master, where the bad guys lose the girls, the job, the respect and the meek inherit the earth. You laugh, you cry, you groan loudly at the cheap plot resolutions EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE STILL CRYING and you inhale the cheesy characters and the twists and sing that earworm love song rest of the night. Don't CLICK THAT SONG (notice that induction there?)
You're a bright brunch. I'm sure you will surprise me with what you learn today, whether it's improving your winter garden soil, figuring our what colors bring out those fabulous eyes, or how to give a genuine greeting of affection to your Burundi neighbor in her native language.
Get out there or in there and choose your lesson. Watch out for sneaky unlisted lessons regarding letting go of ego, being solely in the moment/activity with non-judgment and curiosity of what happens, and remembering the joy of new skills.
Remember.the world's your oyster. What have you always wanted to know more about? Hit the library, the youtube instuctables, that retired neighbor---you have everything you need to do a Tiny Challenge. No rules except the usual: be safe, be respectful and be kind to yourself and others.
At this point my challenge is going to bed, so I'm off to try it, and will report back on what I learned. Knowledge gained tonight: check the endtime vs bedtime before I start a movie.
ZZZZZZZZZ, zoobie doobie parampam and Kia Kaha...
Jana
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