Curiosity: Lifelong Learning
Posted on October 06, 2011 by Derek Lauber, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.
By not flexing our curiosity muscles, we can diminish our potential for deeper learning and change.
As children we have unlimited curiosity, everything is new and exciting. We can endlessly explore puddles after rainstorms or dig around in a pile of dirt. Our imaginations run wild and we are always creating. Remember the smiles on our faces, the countless hours wrapped up in simple pleasures? Remember being excited, joyful without a care in the world?
As an adult, why do we lose that curiosity? What happens to the childlike wonder?
Solve the problem
At some point, we are told that curiosity killed the cat. Along the way we learn to only be curious enough to find the answers our parents, teacher or employer wants. We become only inquisitive enough to find the solution to the current problem right in front of our noses. By not flexing our curiosity muscles, we can diminish our potential for deeper learning and change. We can become too narrow and lose sight of the bigger picture.
Curiosity is a gift
Curiosity is a lifelong gift that should be a part of who we are in every way. This thirst for knowledge keeps our minds active and open; it is the key to learning and growth. Staying curious allows for new information, new insights, new ideas, creativity, and innovation. Being curious can help you become more open-minded in all aspects of your life.
I challenge you to flex your curiosity muscle and stay a learner.
Here are 5 easy steps to help you get curious again:
- Remember what it was like to be a child – dig around in the dirt
- Quiet your inner chatter – let go of your preconceived notions and quiet the self-talk and judgment
- Ask a lot of questions and explore from multiple angles – probe a bit deeper
- Open up your ears and listen – I mean really listen without thinking of what you are going to say next
- Challenge your senses: can you see anything else, can you hear anything else, can you taste anything else, can you feel anything else
Try practicing curiosity for a week. You may be surprised where you find new revelations into a lingering issue, newfound happiness in a simple pleasure or acceptance and tolerance for new and different ideas.
Derek Lauber
Please visit my blog at www.lightboxleadership.com/blog where you can subscribe via email and RSS.
