Marsha Linehan, creator of dialectical behavioral therapy, assembled many different mental exercises to help guide people to greater emotional clarity. These are techniques that people can use even if they can’t stand meditation.

One exercise involves simply looking at an object, for example an egg. We observe the egg for five minutes, noticing the light and shade, the textures, wondering about its internal form, how a yolk might grow into a chick or any other aspect of the object we can imagine.

When we use this technique, we might find it interesting how objective or dispassionate we can be. Or to put it another way, we can be very curious about the egg, exploring its form, without judging it at all.

Perhaps we can see ourselves with that same light, the light of curiosity.

For the transcript: Curious About Oneself A Beautiful Thought