I’ve been learning all about the Nakshatras lately. Why? Well because that’s what the premium membership over at RuneSoup are up to this quarter (also because they are super useful and really fascinating)! This is one of the reasons I love the membership over there so much. Because each quarter there’s a new course and it’s a brand new chance to learn some new magic… which is obviously something I’m very interested in.
My company, which is awesome, provides a subscription to LinkedIn Learning. This means I can access all kinds of training and content on topics that apply to my career (and even ones that only apply peripherally). And that’s good because it’s all stuff I’m interested in.
My husband and I are planning on starting a hive next spring. With the shed and the greenhouse, we got going too late this year (optimal time for starting a hive around here is April/May), but that means that we have the year to get equipment and training. Which is good because keeping bees is something that I, in particular, have been interested in for a very long time.
Indulging our interests is fun. And while there can be a cost associated with it, it doesn’t have to be extensive or expensive.
The library taught me how to make ice cream at home and garden in the Pacific Northwest and make homemade skincare products. The Master Gardeners at the farmer’s market help me identify plants and troubleshoot insect problems. And I learned about how to tell if my kombucha SCOBY was good or bad (because they look terrible, all of them, even when they are just fine) online. I learned preserving watching my mom break all the rules and still not die… but I really learned preserving from http://www.pickyourown.org/ and https://www.freshpreserving.com/ completely for free.
Here’s the thing. If you meet me in person (and some of you will get your chance in September) you are going to find me pretty boring. I rarely drink, I’m not as likely to stay out late as I was 20 years ago, and I’m frankly kind of a homebody. I’m just not that interesting.
What I am though is INTERESTED. I’m so very interested in so many things. I’m interested in things that I do well (baking, risk mitigation). I’m interested in things I do badly (painting, cooking). I’m interested in things that I learn all about but don’t spend a lot of time doing (needlepoint, fermenting). I’m interested in things that I haven’t done yet (beekeeping) and things I do all the time (magic). I’m interested in things that you don’t actually do (philosophy, mythology, anthropology). Above all, I’m interested in people and what makes them tick (which is why working with my CT clients is so very fulfilling).
At some point, I decided that I’d rather be interested than interesting, and it’s worked out well for me so far. Because being interesting takes a lot of effort, but doesn’t give a lot of return. Sure, people find you charming and engaging, the life of the party, but you are still the same you. Being interested however is truly beneficial. You get all kinds of benefits from it. You learn stuff, you meet people, you get to understanding things.
Plus being interesting is all about you. It’s about how you appear to other people and what they think of you. Being interested is about the world. It’s about the people and things around you. In order for the world to be alive / enlivened / enchanted, you have to take an interest it in.
If things in your life seem stagnate and boring, consider spending less time being interesting more time being interested. The best part is you can tailor your interest to your own needs. If you’re too much in your head, take an interest in all the birds in your yard. Or if you need a break from pop culture, cultivate an interest in silent film or classical music. If you need to make your house more homey, get interested in decorating on the cheap. Or if you spend too much time at home, perhaps you need a bigger interest in travel. And if you want to know how the world works, you should get very, very interested in magic.
Ivy’s personal maxims (v 6.0, June 2019)
- Religion that’s easy is wrong
- Don’t get offended, get pissed off
- Life is too short to eat shit
- Look where you want to go
- It’s better to look ordinary and actually be interesting
5.5 But it’s better to be interested than interesting - Make your own sense
- Don’t just know yourself, grow yourself
- Focus, don’t dwell
That’s getting to be quite a list.
