Staying curious has become a mantra for me. I have never been more curious as I have been these past several years. In 2018, I started the New Year with a promise to practice curiosity on a regular basis. From an early age, I was curious about everything and when my curiosity was squelched, I trained myself to wonder less. I don’t blame or hold judgment, looking back, these are personal observations through my life lens. As a much younger version of myself, when I attempted to honor my curiosity, when posing questions, oftentimes the role models I asked simply didn’t have the answers or the time. Time, now that makes me curious too, but that is a subject for another (time).
As a pivotal memory, I recalled a high school English class assignment. We were asked to imitate a television or newspaper journalist. It wasn’t until I had to create a list of questions to ask my selected interviewee that I realized I had absolutely no follow up questions based on my list. That class assignment made me realize that I would have been an extremely ill-equipped journalist. Because I am able to evaluate this today. I know that through conditioning, I learned to quiet the part of my brain that wanted to know more. While examining my lack of curiosity, I believe it was part of my character and part social conditioning. I truly believed or wanted to believe that everyone was like me and spoke their truth and accepted shared information at face value. Why would I need to question that? I felt no need to wonder more or dive deeper into questions. Today, I understand that because I absorb my emotional environment, I was supporting and honoring a protective shield for my young heart. I was part naive and part warrior. I am a warrior and I remained naïve for a long time and continued to believe everyone had my best interest at heart, as I did theirs. (So many lessons to be learned here)
My life became busy. I got married, raised two amazing sons and thought everything was going well until it wasn’t. I excused behaviors that were not in alignment with my core beliefs, until I couldn’t. I started asking, “Why?” I started to wonder more. I started wanting more. I started to believe I deserved better. An event occurred several years ago that shook my foundation as I knew it. What followed has been a series of questions that I finally became curious about.
My curiosity grew and so did my creativity. My world has changed because I honor my curious mind.
Pay attention to signs and symbols and nudges. Pay attention and feed your curiosities. Staying curious invites growth and growth is the natural ebb and flow of life.
Perhaps 2023 is your invitation to wonder more and stay curious.
Stay well dear friends,
Micki, DDBR, xo