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Organizing
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Mind
Chapter 12 Curiosity Can Also Lead You to Success Have you read the first eleven chapters regarding Harry Lorayne's book on 'Mind Power'? Have you been curious enough to want to expand your mind to see how successful you can really be? Harry Lorayne obviously is a man who has done that. This chapter is about being curious and his not understanding others who don't want to know the "why" and "how" of new things. He does not believe that "ignorance is bliss" as the saying goes. He thinks that a person's greatest asset is a 'sense of humour' and a 'healthy curiosity'. Believing that curiosity may well kill a cat but that with people he feels what it kills is ignorance. He feels that those who aren't curious about anything go through life; "in a straight line, like a race horse with blinkers on; not caring about or seeing anything but their own little pleasures, frustrations and problems." He doesn't think these people could come up with a 'worthwhile idea or do anything of interest'. Curiosity and interest are one and the same and without either, Lorayne feels a person must be awfully bored. He says, "the one universal cure-all for boredom is the search for knowledge." He figures the American educator Nicholas Murray Butler was talking of such people when he said, "The tombstones of a great many people should read: Died at 30; buried at 60." In condensing what Harry Lorayne has written, people may be rich or poor but if they see things only with their eyes and not their minds they will become bored. Plus those who aren't quite bored yet will soon be because they take 'the path of least resistance'. Not bothering to take the time to figure out what they don't understand. Lorayne gives memory lecture demonstrations where he feels he probably remembers more during the session than most people do in a year. Many people think, well he just has a good memory, but the reason he has a good memory is because he has trained his mind. Harry says to take off the 'blinkers' and see the world. As he said and many say, that children learn things faster and better than adults. They are fast learners because they have curious minds. Lorayne thinks that; "Curiosity is one of the definite characteristics of a vigorous mind, and children have vigorous, active minds." Lorayne says to get rid of the 'negative mindset' and aquire a 'positive mindset'. Practice being curious and you will be surprised at the 'new worlds that open up for you and how much new knowledge you will obtain'. Getting a hobby can help to get rid of boredom and can be a way to creatively exercise your mind. You don't have to be curious about every single thing you run across, be selective and you may find a life long love. You may even come across something that will bring you great success where before you were living a life of mediocrity. Harry tells of one man who started out pushing racks of clothes to different stores until he was curious enough to wonder about them which led to his own garment business. Don't become old before your time because that is what boredom makes you. Harry Emerson Fosdick stated, "The art of retirement is not to retire from something but to retire 'to' something." But you don't have to be of retirement age to be bored, boredom affects all ages and curiosity is necessary for all ages. To sum up; here is some wise words from Rudyard Kipling: 'I had six honest serving men, They taught me all I knew; Their names were, 'Where' and 'What' and 'When' And 'Why' and 'How' and 'Who'. Patricia Downing |
