A "Holy Curiosity"

"One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity." Albert Einstein

It seems to be an earmark of great thinkers to possess what Dr. Einstein calls "a holy curiosity." Leonardo da Vinci includes "curiosita" as one of his seven principles, which Italian word describes an "insatiably curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning." He also said, "The desire to know is natural to good men. For in truth, great love is born of great knowledge of the thing loved."

Henry Ford noted another good reason to keep learning when he said, "Anyone who stops is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young." By this remark, he was agreeing with Aristotle's observation that "education is the best provision for old age." In addition, Aristotle noted that "the difference between an educated and an uneducated man is the same difference as between being alive and being dead."

Ralph Waldo Emerson also encouraged continuous learning and searching for truth when he said, "He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind."

Long before I started collecting all of these sayings I was a great believer in continuing education. I always wanted to know the "why" of everything and this, combined with my love of writing, is probably what drove me to work for the local newspaper, where I eventually won an award for investigative reporting. Go figure! Anyway, the search for knowledge and truth continues in my life and will until the day I die, I hope. I fully believe, as William Jennings Bryan once said, that "destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."

I used to believe, erroneously, that there was some sort of magical behavior I had to perform in order to gain favor with God and receive any blessings. The dictatorial stance of the Mormon church made me feel that I had no control over my life to a large extent, and that any time something bad happened to me, it was because I had failed to do exactly what I was told to do by the leadership in that church. Magical thinking is at the root of a lot of misplaced belief systems which encourage people to believe that blind obedience to the male priesthood, sublimation of all original thought, and a rigid pattern of correct behavior will win them favor with the Almighty.

I know better than that now although, for most of my life, I thought the church alone had all of the answers, and all I had to do was follow orders and I would be worthy for the "Celestial Kingdom." Ultimately, I began thinking for myself again as I came to the realization, as John Wooden noted, that "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

So now I am back to the basics and will keep in mind what Micah 6:8 advises: He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? I will remember what Emerson said, too, that "every man I meet is in some way my superior; and in that I can learn of him." I will be humble, non-critical of others, and will try to remember that my "ears aren't made to shut but my mouth is" as I travel through what is left of my time here.

In closing, here are some of the things I have learned, in a piece written by an unknown author but still rings true to my life, called "Life's Lessons":

"After a while, you learn the difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul. You learn that love isn't leaning but lending support. You begin to accept your defeats with the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child. You decide to build your roads on today, for tomorrow's ground is too uncertain. You help someone plant a garden instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. You learn that God has given you the strength to endure and that you really do have worth."