Follow Your Curiosity

Do you ever feel as though the limited amount of time you have on earth, as a human being, cannot possibly permit you to learn all there is to learn about all the things you find interesting?

I recently strolled into a few bookshops around Ghent, to do one of my favourite things: acquire brand new books full of wonderful unknowns (unknown to me, of course). I have always had an innate curiosity for ideas and in my younger years I would satiate this hunger for knowing by reading every story within reach. Stories were an easy start, and stories were naturally embedded in everyday life: in conversations with friends, in books and on TV. But that was just the beginning, a dipping of toes that would later become full immersion.

I had been introduced, through school, to subjects that delved deeper into particulars and were only taught for the purpose of understanding the world, its creatures, ourselves, and how all this came together. It was also a way to encourage us to think. I enjoyed the consistent novelty that came from learning something new everyday, so I liked school. 

Along the way, I noticed my inclination towards the arts and humanities, though it did not dissuade me from exploring the world of science. Science is, after all, one of the cosiest homes for those who ask a lot questions: ‘why’, ‘how’, ‘what’, ‘what if’ and ‘what happens when’? Humanities and arts, however, had a fluidity that felt much more exciting.

I remember the first time I had this feeling that was yet to bear a name. I was an undergraduate student in university and had often fallen into debates with my peers about the existence of God, among other queries that poked holes on religious teachings. These debates were born out of curiosity, but were also a cheeky way to antagonise my friends and see them shake in their boots. A chance to turn their world slightly, on its axis. I was barely twenty, and can hardly be faulted for my mischief. It was an unusual subject of conversation even in learning institutions like the secular university I attended. Most of us grew up in christian homes and had been taught CRE(Christian Religious Education) from early primary school. Christianity and its principles were central to our worldview.

At the time, I had been unsure about my inclination toward religion and christianity, to be specific. This uncertainty began before my teens and any questions would be met with unsatisfactory answers or outright dismissal. I had more than once been told that all this questioning would make me get lost in my mind and that there are things I just didn’t need to know. By the time I was engaging a group of friends in the library on the truths of the bible, I had began to describe myself as an agnostic theist. ‘Atheist’ was too certain and a sort of anti-christianity in my experiences, to that point. I liked the nuance of the phrase and that it didn’t particularly commit to any box or amount to a complete severing of my roots. It was neutral and questioning. It mirrored my inherent nature. 

After that debate, that left some of my friends doubtful, even curious, it dawned on me that I was free to seek the knowledge I had been searching for most of my life, with no limitations. I had the permission to explore the world and all its wonders without the previous bounds of connecting them to the context of christianity. I could finally explore other ways of thinking about the world and existence, including science and philosophy. To truly dive in, no holds barred.

Suddenly, the possibilities before me seemed so vast and uncontainable that I almost passed out from an overwhelming sense of the sheer vastness of a universe that was now available to me! It was as if a gate I didn’t know existed, swung wide open. All I had to do was walk into the fog; a fog that would start to clear with every step I took. It was my first experience of something close to the German word

“Sehnsucht”, which translates to: an intense, wistful longing for something you can never fully reach. 

It was a deep yearning to know everything while knowing I couldn’t possibly know everything. 

Over the years, this Sehnsucht has washed over me from time to time, and most recently, it happened as I was collecting books to look into subjects that I have been curious about lately. I had bought a few books on philosophy, some historical books and one book of essays. I had also, finally, bought my very first Oxford English Dictionary, as an adult and paired it with a curious find called The Dictionary People about “the unsung heroes who created the Oxford English Dictionary”. 

Buying books is the most exhilarating experience in my world. The feeling I had walking home with my bag full of books; as I unpacked them on arrival, was barely similar to the trying on of new clothes after a shopping spree. The difference is you can’t satisfy the urge to consume them all within the hour, you can only wait, and start with one book at a time. Even as I write this, the excitement comes to life again, and my attempt to express it makes my fingers jump-float over the keyboard as I try to convey it to you. It is a sort of ecstasy. 

I enjoy that feeling now, and appreciate that it is the evidence of a deep curiosity that I have come to embrace, I hope you can also do that with the things you deeply love. Because what is life, if not lived with joy and pockets of magic, the kind of magic that fills us with longing and a recognition of the abundance of our universe? And how can we truly appreciate life if we do not, from time to time, feel like we want to live it all at once and forever in unison? To make our own little globe: a unique microcosm, we can put together to return to when live gets drab or hard to bear. The act of living creatively. I wish it for everyone who gets to read this. 

Follow your curiosity, and find bliss.

Growing Pains

What comes next after you set that new intention for the year ahead?

The first blog of the year, ‘Play of Life’ , explored the setting of intentions for how you will move through the ebbs and flows this year will bring. This video popped out of my archives from around this time, two years ago. Isn’t it interesting how similar lessons circle back or recycle until we learn and integrate them in our lives?

In this video, the intention I had set was to grow in wisdom. One of the challenges that emerged to push me in that direction, was the opportunity to make one hard decision after another. This was one such incident. It was very similar to a previous challenge that I had refused to participate in, for fear of causing hurt. The decision was consequently made for me. The outcome was just as it would have been had I chosen to follow my gut. Letting it play out naturally, instead, left me in an uncomfortable and unprepared place. I had to come to terms with the consequences of my indecision. This time around, I understood my assignment and acted accordingly. I activated the expansion or growth within me that was necessary on the path to wisdom; by making the tough decision with the tools at hand. There was a price to pay. Feelings of guilt over the possibility that I may have been wrong.

Looking back now, I was asking for an ability, something that required the building of my own capacity. The Cambridge Dictionary describes wisdom as : the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments. In order to have this ability, I had to experience things that pushed me to make decisions and trust my judgement!

Of course it did not occur to me while asking for wisdom, to look up its meaning and really meditate on it. That notwithstanding, it became manifest in the events that followed.

What a beautiful discovery this turned out to be! Life does indeed play with us. Perhaps we could make it more fun by preparing ourselves for the game beforehand; like watching the trailer to a movie before you commit to watching it. But then again, some of us like to be surprised and figure things out along the way. Whatever your style, you can be certain that you will often get exactly what you ask for. So gear up for the ride and keep an open mind. It can be fun to put the puzzle together: forwards or backwards. Your choice.

Play of Life

Day one. The very first day of a brand new year. 2026 is finally here!

There is something so fresh and exciting about new beginnings: a chance to start; a blank canvas and the opportunity to create a brand new world filled with the stuff of our imagination; a slight sense of control.

What will you choose to be the story you write this year? Is it a continuation of what already began, or a completely new tale?

When I contemplate this new start, a phrase comes to mind, ‘Joie de Vivre’. Away from the tradition that puts pressure on us to set the stage for the rest of the year; perhaps a good addition would be to set an intention for how you will move through it, no matter what life throws at you?

A few years ago, I came across the concept of having a word of the year. A theme that runs through the year’s experiences and accomplishments. In many ways it seems to be more like a prayer or a wish. I remember doing it for a few years, having a theme of the year, the last of which was wisdom. I asked for wisdom, and let me tell you, wisdom did not knock on my door. No, it stormed in. Wisdom did not gently tap and wait for me to let it in, it swept right through with such force that I was left spinning. No warning letters, no memo. It was as if I had found that fabled magic lamp with a genie in it, blew off the dust and inhaled it, to unwittingly cast a spell on myself before the genie had a chance to appear and offer me three wishes. Amidst sputters of allergic sneezes, the spell compelled me ask for wisdom. Yes, I am blaming a fictional object for the turn of events I set into motion, while clearly in lack of said wisdom. And so I was gifted a solid dose of one hard truth after another, gently nudged to look within, and to eventually clean out that dusty old closet of ‘untended to’ things. It came in relentless waves that cleared one dusty shelf after another, and shone a light so bright on the mess before me, that ignoring its existence would be a fool’s task.

Wisdom was quite the teacher, and there were times I cussed out the process, times I taunted it and others I almost quit. I had not read the fine print; quitting was not a choice. So I powered through. In the midst of the storms of revelation, and overwhelm at new truths that emerged from this clever fellow, I learnt to find the beauty in the pain and the fun in the game. It was nothing short of an adventure.

In conversation with one of my favourite people, we dissected the idea of asking for the things we want. Those we think we lack or want more of. It was quickly apparent that we can set ourselves up with this idea that we know exactly what we want. What we are, in fact, asking for is the shiny exterior; the final product. Without considering what it takes to achieve that coveted prize. The peace, wisdom, joy, ease, wealth, love, whatever it is we seek. We rarely consider what it will take to get there, what the cost will be; because nothing comes for free.

More often than not, the things we want to be, will gradually emerge as we pass one challenge after another, each one holding an opportunity to test our ability to embody that which we seek. Oftentimes, we will take a while to recognise the pattern, to see that all the little tests are either getting us ready, or testing our resolve. Are we up to the task? Are you up to the task?

My friend decided to approach her hopes and dreams from a different angle, one that would soften the blow. A gentler approach that did not include asking to be a certain kind of person or to live a certain kind of life. I, on the other hand, was still deliberating on which way works best for me. Do I want to be a soldier and ask directly for something specific, for a result? Then prepare for the battle field that would surely deliver results; or trick the universe into offering these treats, without a rough and unpredictable ride? It now appears, that though I appreciate the effectiveness of being direct, (as it offers something of a crash course in achieving our goals without signing off on the package it is delivered in) maybe this time I can try something different.

This time, I choose to start by showing up the way my ideal self would. Ideal because it is a higher version than the one I am familiar with, yet it is within reach. In evaluating my previous responses to challenges, there is now a greater awareness within me, of how I can still feel empowered in my response to life doing what it does.

As 2026 begins, I endeavour to show up and to be playful. To play with life, and not wrestle with it. Can I promise to always embody this ‘joie de vivre’? Perhaps not, but when it starts to feel a little heavy, that will be my reminder to play again. When 2026 ends, I want it to find me with a playful smile, proud of how I showed up when winning and even when it seemed like I was loosing ,but I was actually learning and levelling up.

How do you want to look back on this bright and shiny new year? Let us set ourselves up for something we will smile about 12 months from now.

Happy 2026!