“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.”
― Benjamin Franklin
Follow Your Curiosity
On one of my business trips to Holland, I met an interesting man. He was sitting one seat away in the middle aisle of the airplane. As I glanced over in his direction, I noticed what he was reading caught my attention.
Filled with curiosity, I asked, “Hi, I’m curious as to why you’re reading a Chinese book?”
He responded with a lively answer about his passion for Chinese culture and history.
As our conversation unfolded, I learned that he’s a balloon artist which is something I have not heard of. Additionally, he shared many stories of working around the world and showed me many pictures of his work.
And after hearing about his numerous business travels in China, I felt compelled to share with him my childhood memories in China.
Through that engaging discussion, we built a strong friendship. Shortly before we deplaned, I asked for his contact information so we can meet up during my stay in Holland.
That following weekend, we met up at the train station and he immediately became my personal tour guide. He drove us around his home town and we did the following:
- Hiked in his neighborhood park.
- Visited his mom in his childhood home.
- Dined at a restaurant in the local town center.
It was an unforgettable experience to visit a new country with a local’s guidance.
After that trip, I made a conscious effort to stay in touch with him even though we are continents apart.
Fortunately, every time after returning to the Netherlands for work, we were able to meet up since his job requires frequent traveling. And on those occasions, he invited me to stay over at his house where I met his wife and children. Additionally, he showed me the historic World War II battlegrounds in his town which brought back a lot of memories for him.
In other instances, I met one of his students through a house party. And over time, that woman has also become one of my good friends.
Reflecting back, all these beautiful memories and connections stemmed from my curiosity on that plane.
Create the Desire to Learn
To create your unique lifestyle, you must deeply know yourself. This includes finding your hobbies and interests. These are fun and beneficial activities you’re excited to do regularly.
If you don’t know where to start, follow your curiosity by asking yourself:
- “What pursuits have I always wanted to try?
- “What am I curious about?”
- “What questions do I want to find answers for?”
Inspiration can be found in many places and they may include the following:
- Reading fictional books, autobiographies, or memoirs
- Watching sci-fi films or travel videos
- Listening to educational podcasts or motivational music
An effective way is to go to a new place.
This way, you have the opportunity to practice staying in the present moment by looking at things with a fresh pair of eyes.
And through learning all that’s around you, you can harness humility realizing there’s an infinite amount of knowledge in this world.
As you go through the process of self-discovery, you’ll realize the most important lessons are the ones you reveal through personal experience.
Forge Your Character
Character is built through habits and activities that you do on a regular basis.
This requires knowing who you want to be, then reverse engineer to develop those traits, skills, and values. They may include the following:
- Leadership
- Commitment
- Contribution
- Courage
- Gratitude
- Growth
By knowing yourself more and identifying your desires and dislikes, you can solidify your personality.
You can also learn more about yourself through various relationships.
Some of the most interesting people are those who you normally wouldn’t talk to. Compared to you, they may have different backgrounds but with fascinating stories.
And by exchanging tales using your own personal experiences, you can build meaningful and deep connections with others.
Closing Thoughts
Personal stories come from experiences that can only be achieved through doing. It requires putting yourself in the world and creating those unforgettable excursions and explorations.
In the process, you can construct unexpected connections when you open up your heart to the world and welcome them in.
It demands a combination of curiosity and humility to absorb all that life has to offer.
With the limited time, you can choose to live an active and fulfilling life by doing things that may not be easy but are aligned with who you are.
This requires courage and persistence to shape your character and build your personality.
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