Seeker of the interesting way

I caught a glimpse of a heart diagram in my 15-year-old’s Biology book. Extensively labeled with names of arteries, veins, valves, and whatnot, it made me sweat. The next page had an even scarier ‘Flow of blood in the human body’ diagram. I swear it looked like a complicated map of a country's highways, with arrows going everywhere.

Why learn in the most boring way?

I remember hating some subjects in school because they bored the heck out of me. So, even though my daughter didn't ask for my help, I decided to rescue her. I'm no expert on the heart, so I did what any lazy parent would do — Look at good old YouTube for answers.

And voila, there it was, a TED-Ed video in the search results. We clicked on it. In just 5 minutes, the video explained why only medics get to clearly understand the functioning of the heart and how students can learn from the same nifty technique.

The trick is to remove two of the heart chambers and run tap water into the remaining two chambers!🚰 😱 You don't need to dissect a pig for this. With animations and easy explanations, the video made us (yes, me included) curious.

By the time we were done, we were fascinated with the intricacies involved in the functioning of this major body part we call the heart. ❤️

How many times have we given up on something because it’s complicated and worse, boring?

What if we become the seeker of the interesting way?

• Gym equipment looks complicated. Learn the interesting way. Find the best YouTuber teaching the basics.

• Don't know what to do with the beetroot lying in your fridge. Find the most creative recipe on YouTube.

• Need to DIY deep clean your carpet? Someone must be having fun doing it at their home. Let’s learn from them.

Not all answers can be found on YouTube, of course.

• To find out the best cafes in a neighborhood, the most interesting way is to explore and experience them. 

• To stop procrastinating working on the boring report, break it down like a heist movie. Research = intel gathering, writing = the crack, deadline = the vault.

• Want to learn a language but textbooks make you yawn? Watch cartoons in that language. Immersion without the grammar drills.

There's always a boring way — the obvious one. And then there's the interesting way.  

In 2024, let’s become the seeker of the interesting ways. Let’s become avid learners. 🙌