5 WAYS TO CULTIVATE CURIOSITY
I couldn’t help but wonder, fast forward two decades would she have even noticed the frog? Or, would she walk right by, consumed by her thoughts, distracted by a tiny screen in the palm of her hand? When does being curious become something we have to work for? What happens to the wonder, the what, why, and how. Can we get it back?
I was sitting on the second story deck of a condominium we had rented for the night. We were staying in the heart of the city, sounds of sirens in the distance, cars and buses hurrying passengers to their destination for the day. It was just after 8 am, I was enjoying people watching from above when I noticed her. A dad and his two kids were heading to the bus stop. I’m going to guess the kids couldn’t have been older than about 4 and 6 years old. The younger girl lingered a few feet behind her brother and dad. As they patiently awaited the bus, the little girl became distracted by something she spotted on the sidewalk. From my perspective it appeared to be a deceased frog spread about the concrete. She began circling the frog, around and around, examining the remains. She didn’t seem disgusted or concerned just extremely inquisitive. I spent the next 5 minutes watching her investigate the scene of the crime. She would bend down to stare at the frog, stand up, walk around, step back, as if she was retracing the final moments of the frog’s life. While this may seem like a silly thing to catch my interest, what I noticed was more than just a little girl and a dead frog. It was an inspiring reminder of the magic of curiosity.
This got me thinking. What’s the benefit of living a more curious life? I believe we grow at the rate in which we learn and curiosity creates our opportunity. The inherent quality of curiosity is to bring into question the possibility of something you cannot see. An opening for learning and understanding what you might not otherwise have recognized before. When distractions and responsibilities in life increasingly demand our energy and attention (as technology races to speed things up even more) what can we do to be more like the curious four year old little girl?
Try something new or start doing an old thing a new way. Make a plan, show-up, walk the path, do the thing. Repeat. Boring? Well, it doesn’t have to be. I was coaching a woman yesterday who’s learning how to hip hop dance for no other reason than it sounded fun. Totally intimidated and a bit embarrassed, she still made the decision to enthusiastically dive into unfamiliar territory because she likes to dance. People are inspiring! When is the last time you stepped into your vulnerability of being a beginner because it was fun and brought you joy?
What could you do because you’ve always wanted to try it? Is there something you’ve already been doing you could adjust to bring fresh new perspective?
This can be as easy as moving around the furniture in your home to changing up your schedule or routine. Small shifts can have big impact, especially if it has been awhile since you’ve spiced things up! Be curious.
Embrace a learning mindset by intentionally studying a subject of interest. Somewhere between our years in the classroom to the depths of a long standing career, our learning slows way down. If we don’t need to learn it, we leave it behind. What if we decided to get more intentional about learning? A friend of mine just finished taking an 8 week carpentry class at our local college. Why carpentry? Because she identified some projects around the house she wanted to get done and became curious about learning how to do the work with her own hands. So awesome! Is there something you wish you knew how to do or knew more about because you were curious? Take the class, go to the conference, hit the library (or the internet), read the books, listen to the podcasts, interview the expert. Whatever it is, be curious.
Schedule, unscheduled time. Make time to wander and do nothing. Even if it’s only an hour at a time, plan to have no plans. Allow the open space of time to influence your creativity and curiosity. Some of our best ideas come from the randomness of what unfolds on its own in the environment around us. An unexpected thought or observation will emerge and inspire an idea or interest you might not have otherwise noticed. Let go and let the flow of what is, in the present moment teach you what’s next. Be curious.
Ask three more questions. Kids are awesome teachers in asking questions. Ask questions of yourself, ask questions of others around you, ask about what you don’t know, ask about what you think you already know. Before taking a strong stand on something, a question can keep us curious and open in conversation. Questions provide the slowdown, the time-out to understand what we need to know before we respond. A resource, a competitive advantage for deeper understanding, growth and innovation. Be curious.
Connection is a catalyst for curiosity. Communicating and connecting with other people is everything to growing curiosity in life. The flow and energy of organic conversation becomes fertile ground for curiosity. The unpredictability of dialogue creates an environment that ensures accessibility to it. Our job is to show-up, listen and ask the questions. When I feel stuck in creativity or complacent in my thinking, the best way out is through connection with others. In my experience, curiosity is the gateway to inspiration, motivation and gratitude. Be curious.
