Hey, brushed up on Latin lately? Doesn’t matter, most of us are aware ‘nova’ means new. Yet, not many of us, actually nobody, had a clue ‘turient’ was derived from ‘turire’ meaning “the desire to, or desire for” change. Dickens, we’ve just learned a new word not a one of us can use in a sentence.
No worries, novaturient’s basic meaning is: Breaking the mold. Letting go of what’s familiar. Charting a new course. Beating a different drum. Programing your internal GPS to ‘scenic route’ and getting unstuck. In other words, novaturient is the desire to seek a profound change in your behavior, life or a situation.
If that doesn’t help clarify matters, then ask yourself how much fun you’ve had in the last 30 days. Heck, for some, the time frame is more like 30 years. Sure, there’s a place and time for letting your hair down. Why not, change your routine and add a healthy dose of zany to your existence. Like doing things you’d never thought in a ba-zillion years you’d do.
Steal a kiss in an elevator. (Just a kiss, this is not novaturient on steroids!) How about, sing out loud while trying on shoes. Hang up the corporate attire and slip into comfortable jeans while spending time at a dude ranch. Take a yoga class. Learn how to make sushi, stained glass or video games. Dance barefoot in the rain. Try a new restaurant once a month, or more often. Reconnect with a long, lost friend via snail mail. Do something on your bucket list so you can scratch it off. Take a college course. Vote for a Reality TV contestant.
It’s never to late to start being novaturient about some, or possibly several, area(s) of life where you feel disconnected. Like life isn’t going the way you’d like. We get so wrapped up in taking life too seriously. Being OCD about routines, or worse, we’ve become cynical. If that’s the case, the hard truth is…life happens based on our choices. If situations in your life aren’t going well, make different choices. Change is not difficult. It is necessary. When we change we allow ourselves to develop strengths we might not otherwise have had if we’d chosen to simply remain stuck in whatever is creating our discomfort.
However, if it’s your behavior that needs attention. Well, it’s time to be proactive about a new attitude. Friends, life is too short to waste it on negativity. None of us know how long we’ll be here, therefore, we might as well enjoy it; instead of creating reasons to be unhappy. I’ve been reading so many messages on FB about how rampant anger is in our society. Dickens, being angry and bragging about it is becoming normal. A shame, considering children mimic our behavior. Besides an explosive temper, things like lying, stealing and being disrespectful are characteristics which would benefit from a positive attitude adjustment. Remember, children will grow up believing what we taught them was normal.
Let’s all make ‘normal’ a happier, well-adjusted place so our children don’t have to grow up and get novaturient about their lives. If we do the work now, we could save them from feeling disconnected from their own lives in the future. Love, respect, honesty, empathy, compassion toward others, and so many more wonderfully positive traits are what we are responsible to pass along.
Let’s join hands, hearts and souls in the biggest endeavor ever…making the world a better place for generations to come.
Can you imagine…making a difference?
Smile, you’re amazing!
