Are you a curious person? Do you go down the rabbit hole when you are interested in a topic? Curiosity is a superpower, in my opinion. Seriously. I am a voracious reader, sometimes a book a week. It’s all fiction - usually historical fiction mysteries. When it comes to non-fiction, I often listen instead of reading text. I’m that annoying friend who finds an article or podcast and forwards it to people I think will be interested. And then I ask them if it resonated and see if they want to discuss it.

The more curious I become, the more life opens up for me.

I encourage you to get curious. Take a course. Read a book. Listen to a podcast or an audiobook. Ask questions of friends and strangers alike. Get to know people.

What are some benefits of being curious, you ask? Well, there are many.

Enhances Learning and Knowledge: Curiosity drives us to explore unfamiliar topics, which actually strengthens our capacity to learn. We also absorb information more effectively when we are genuinely interested in a given subject matter. Have you ever read a paragraph numerous times because you just can’t seem to absorb it? You might have too much on your mind or you are just not that interested in the topic.

Improves Problem-Solving Skills: Curiosity allows us to approach challenges with a fresh perspective. We tend to consider multiple angles, making it easier to find innovative solutions. Ever had an aha moment about an issue you are trying to solve? That’s you being open to options!

Strengthens Relationships: Asking questions and showing genuine interest in others’ lives and experiences can deepen our connections. Curiosity helps us understand and empathize with others, which builds trust. Have you ever found out something about someone that was surprising? How did you not know that about them?!

Fosters Personal Growth: Curiosity prompts self-reflection and exploration, allowing us to better understand our strengths, weaknesses, and passions. It encourages us to step out of our comfort zones and embrace change, which is pretty essential for personal development.

So, how does one cultivate curiosity?

Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of focusing on yes-or-no questions…

Fear of failure is all too common. There’s judgment, mostly from yourself. I could have done better. I didn’t think it through. I feel like an idiot. I feel less than. What will people think?

Meanwhile, everyone else is impressed that you made the effort and put your all into it. They think it took courage and wish they were brave enough to try it, whatever “it” is. In fact, they are beating themselves up for not trying to make a go of it. And so it goes. Even folks who are impressed with your efforts are beating themselves up and feel like a failure.

Fear of failure is so embedded in our psyches that it stops us in our tracks. It’s like touching a hot burner. I won’t do that again.

What if you gave yourself permission to fail? Seriously. What if you changed your mindset about failure and approached it from curiosity? Treat it like an experiment - what if I tried this or this or this? What would happen? Ok, that didn’t quite work. What if I tried it this way? How much better would that be? How much more open to possibility would you be if you took the fear out of the equation? Ok, I’m not naive. A little angst is in order and probably healthy. It can certainly motivate you. And I know there are real-life consequences and others to think about. Yet, I can’t help thinking that a new approach may be a healthy choice.

Let’s explore what this shift in mindset can do for you.

Encourages innovation and creativity - When you're not afraid to fail…

Childhood is all about unabashed curiosity. I used to spend an inordinate amount of time playing with my Barbie dolls (don’t judge!) - acting out scenarios, dressing them up, and creating a dialog between them. And then there was my Easy Bake oven where I mastered the birthday cake. Summers were devoted to pool time where I spent hours playing or at least until my lips turned blue. This play was all fueled by curiosity.

And then, somewhere along the line, I tamped down my curiosity. I’m not sure when it happened. It’s not uncommon. It happens as we head toward adulthood. Life gets in the way. We get busy with work, obligations, and our social lives. We might think we are being judged and our curiosity gets tamped down even more. Our fears take hold and we think we are not capable of achieving something. We may question our self-worth and believe that we don’t deserve something.

I started to miss my curiosity so I began to explore why it had diminished as much as it did. It took a lot of self-exploration and I realized I was hiding behind my fears and limiting beliefs. I was living in my own little safety bubble. I was playing it small.

I was so grateful when my curiosity slowly reappeared. I hadn’t fully realized the impact it had had on my life. And you know what reappeared with it…