Hello ,Happy Friday!
I've been too busy working to read, so no book recommendations this week, but here are some tips for changing things up and being more inquisitive.
5 Ways Curiosity Helps You Live Well |
The century-old proverb, curiosity killed the cat, is usually dusted off and pronounced by an adult trying to hide something from a child.
Whether it's snicker-doodles in the cookie jar or a shameful family secret, the
message is stop right there.
Story books about Curious George have been telling kids for 75-years: curiosity will get you in trouble. I'd rather see curiosity as fuel for the creative mind, a pathway to learning, a catalyst for change.
I think I was born with a need to know, quite a benefit in my career as a news reporter, and more recently, in writing non-fiction for kids. Although, I
must admit my curiosity has gotten me into trouble a time or two. My quest for facts can go too far. It never worked very well to grill my kids when they came home from school. My husband’s not too keen on it either.
So I work at curbing my nose for news to become a better listener, and
at the same time, strive to sharpen a more subtle curiosity.
I came up with this list of tips from my own practice. In my experience, cultivating a gentle curiosity contributes to better mental health and happiness.
Tips for Better Living Through Curiosity - Be curious when somebody gets under your
skin. Ask yourself what your reaction reveals about you. When we blame others, we lose options, we get stuck and feel powerless. When we ask questions, we gain options and the freedom to make new choices.
- Be curious about your thoughts. Many of our thoughts are not true, but we go on believing them. Moment
by moment we let our thoughts say terrible things about us, things we'd never say to a friend. Pause, investigate, acknowledge some of our thoughts are ridiculous, or just plain wrong. Being curious, seeing useless, hurtful thoughts for what they are helps us begin to let them go.
- Be curious about your emotions. Exploring our feelings helps us act with more clarity and wisdom. Letting emotions like fear, anger and pain go unacknowledged creates hidden motives. It sounds backward, but understanding our feelings, actually helps us make more rational choices.
- Be curious about your everyday surroundings. Rushing through the same routine day after day we can miss the excitement of being alive. Endless mystery awaits our attention, genius
even. Both Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein were sitting daydreaming when everyday sights sparked amazing ideas. Newton saw an apple fall from a tree, was curious, and discovered gravity and the laws of motion. Einstein saw a builder on the rooftop was curious what would happen if he fell, and extended his theory of relativity to gravity.
- Be curious about other people. There's a theory we're hardwired to hang with people like us and feel threatened by those who look different, act different or believe different. Supposedly it goes back to the days of running around in bands protecting our food sources. But if we let go of our fear and our judgments open our minds to discovery, relationships become more complex, more interesting, more intimate.
People are fascinating if we give them a chance.
We're all born curious, but many forces conspire to limit or even end our exploring, learning, and discovering as we grow older. Those who remain curious tend to be smarter and more creative, have healthier relationships and more enjoyment of life.
Do you have some tips for expanding curiosity? Email me by hitting
reply at the top of this newsletter.
One thing I've never been curious about--how the cat died. I just happened to find out recently, the cat died from worrying too much.
In case you missed the newsletter last week, my next book is up on Amazon. Check it out! |
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