One of my favourite things to encourage people who participate in our leadership programs to do is – be curious. When something happens do not jump straight to a conclusion or some kind of judgement – think out loud – how curious! Curiosity is a wonderful mindset to open yourself up to learning and exploring.
Think of a child – they are the most open to learning and in their first seven years of life learn such an incredible amount – think about it – we learn to eat, to drink, to talk, to walk and so the list goes on. We are able to do this because we are curious and bring a “what if” attitude. What if I stand up against the table, what if I put my fingers into this hole………..curiosity. We constantly push or even ignore the barriers, especially those our parents try to tell us about.
Adults come from a “this won’t work” attitude far too often and put up barriers to learning. Much safer and easier to remain in our comfort zones. This is why I actively encourage myself and others around me to bring curiosity into their life.
How curious that I am feeling angry right now; how curious that my team member chose to give me some very honest feedback after we both experienced a very challenging meeting with a client – this kind of mindset requires you to think and feel differently about what turns up for you.
Over the next week try this out and record what happens for you – how you feel, think and act differently because of this new mindset. Bringing curiosity into your life opens you up to experiences you may never have imagined.
Look at the world through the eyes of a child – wonderment and imagination wrapped up in curiosity. It takes courage to bring this mindset – much safer to remain in your comfort zone and rely on the tried and true ways of doing things and reacting.
