Have You Become Jaded?

I’ve got a confession and a story to share with you that might just shake up your attitude towards life.

Last week, I found myself sitting in the main square of my new hometown in Mexico. I was sipping on a cup of coffee with a new friend and admiring the incredible, Indian Laurel Ficus trees as pictured below.

As we chatted away in Spanish, I stumbled on the word “jaded,” unable to remember its Spanish equivalent. Even my bilingual friend couldn’t think of it!

We eventually resorted to an English/Spanish dictionary, but the word “hastiado” didn’t fully capture the meaning of “jaded” in English.

And then it hit me (this is the confession). My usual rose-colored glasses, glass-half-full way of being had slipped into a more jaded attitude over the past 3 years. I hadn’t even realized it until I got here and was able to see how much daily joy I was missing out on.

That got me thinking. What would life be like if we were never jaded? What if we approached every new experience with a childlike sense of wonder and curiosity? What if we refused to let our preconceptions or expectations color our perceptions of the world around us?

The truth is, life would be so much more vibrant and exciting if we were never jaded. If we dropped our entitled attitude and allowed a whole world of possibility and joy to open up to us.

And, guess what? You don’t have to leave the country to adopt this attitude. You can start right where you are.

Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Mario Martinez, a brilliant clinical neuropsychologist and expert in mind-body medicine. His research shows that novelty is an important factor in promoting well-being and resilience. According to Dr. Martinez, novelty refers to the experience of encountering new and unfamiliar situations, ideas, and stimuli… even in familiar situations. It’s the opposite of being jaded!

So, let’s make a pact to drop our jaded attitudes and approach life with a sense of wonder and openness. Ask questions. Explore new things. Be open to different perspectives. Embrace the unexpected.

¡Viva la maravilla y la curiosidad!
Deb