The Life-Changing Magic of Curiosity

These brains of ours tend to overcomplicate things with (so much) more thinking than we actually need. In their incessant search for a sense of safety and solidity to cling to amidst the ephemeral nature of life, our minds worry, ruminate, perseverate and catastrophize. 

So it's easy to get swept up in the notion that we must need a complicated solution to disentangle ourselves from these sticky mental patterns.

Good news: It's not true!

There is one practice / mental state that's darn close to a panacea for these suffering-inducing ruminative habits, and thankfully it couldn't be simpler:

It's good old-fashioned curiosity.

When curiosity is present:

Interest expands.

Judgment loosens.

Contraction broadens into spaciousness. 

Black-and-white thinking softens into a sense of expansive possibility.

Fixed mindset blossoms into growth mindset.

Curiosity is a space of genuine interest, wonder and presence. 

It drops us out of our heads, where all that energy-wasting rumination and worry spin, into what's actually happening in present moment reality as experienced through our senses — where clarity toward a wise path forward often organically emerges.

Curiosity opens up a pathway to awe, which is a space within which we can connect to something larger and more connected than our small sense of self: To nature, to other beings, to the universe, to spirit, to life at large.

Curiosity brings a light touch, rather than a heavy hand, to what we're observing and experiencing within and around us.

Curiosity calms the mind's desperate sense of urgency to constantly be doing something or figuring something out.

When we're in curiosity mode, we get a break from being pummeled by the estimated 60-80,000 daily thoughts scrolling through our consciousness. 

A curious space feels simultaneously restful and energizing.

And, as the icing on the cake, curiosity mode just feels good. It feels open, relaxed and expansive. Our brains like learning new things, and a curious mindset opens up new learning pathways.

And the best news is that shifting gears into curiosity mode couldn't be simpler (though as with any muscle that's underused, might take some practice to really pick up momentum).

When you're feeling stuck in confusion or an unhelpful, habitual, circular thought loop:

Pause and say (out loud or internally):

“Hmm…”

This is a sound we humans naturally emit when curiosity arises. So intentionally sending this sound reverberating through our bodies helps shift our brain and being into curiosity mode. 

You might try expanding this phrase to “Hmm, I wonder…” about something you're feeling stuck around. 

Then just bring a little light-touch curiosity – a dose of genuine interest – to whatever's at hand and see what feels different than hammering away in a left-brained “I have to figure this out!!” mode. 

You already know how to work hard and think hard. Maybe it's time to balance things out with a bit of light, spacious touch. 

Get curious, see what you notice, and move forward from there.

Lots of Love,

Melissa

PS - If you’re curious about exploring these themes in a sweetly personalized way, be in touch about 1:1 coaching possibilities.