In Praise of Exploration

Little did Alice or Christopher Columbus know that their trips down the rabbit holes would be enriching and adventurous. Would we have the same wonder and excitement if Lewis Carroll wrote the story that revolved around the New Forests in Lyndhurst with an all-human story cast? What if Alice wasn’t curious? Do you remember when the last time you stepped out of the cocoon to explore something new?

Having had the privilege to step out of conventional routine, I have had the opportunity to learn and explore cerebral locales that I would typically avoid. The joy of exploring without a prefixed agenda is manna for the soul — Imagine the joyful faces of children who step out on their school excursions and come back with new light. Unfortunately, the pressure and demands of professional life can be a hindrance to such explorations. It is an irony that the doorway of ingenuity doesn’t feature regular field trips outside the known boundaries. These explorations can be discoveries that are fruitful for both personal and professional lives.

But we live in a world that thrives on order; these probes are not promises of continuity. These trails can lead into pathways and alleys that don’t fit into the shape of the constructed world. They will nudge you to look beyond the obvious. The not-so-secret spices that can make these trails tantalizing are open minds, curiosity, wonder, observation, and excitement.

I am still learning and enjoying my explorations beyond the regular garb of things I have always known in work and personal life. Are you venturing out into territories known and unknown?

“To make discoveries, you have to be curious about why the universe is the way it is.”

ISSAC ASIMOV

• Cover Picture Credit: Donald Zohan via Pinterest.
• This blog was first published on my personal site.