Curiosity

-Devlyn Steele

"Sometimes questions are more important than answers."

-  Nancy Willard

Did curiosity kill the cat? As children, we naturally explore. We wanted to know what everything was and what everything could do.  We poked our heads in every nook and cranny we could find. Our parents would say to us, "Be Careful," or "Stay out of that," which only made us more curious.  If we were told "Stay out of that," we just had to find out what was there.  

Curiosity is how we grew. We enter the world knowing hardly a thing, yet wanting to know everything. As we grow older we become trapped in what we know and often stop being curious.  The book and cartoon series Curious George encouraged curiosity in a focused direction.  Curious George helped us to be curious about counting, curious about reading, and told children that curiosity was good.  It encouraged exploring and learning. 

When did we stop being curious? Why did we choose to stop looking around the corner to see what might be there? What would it be like to learn a new language, travel to a new place, or eat a different type of food? What can we learn about ourselves and the world around us if we open ourselves up to exploring? What might we discover that could lead to a new career, a new lifestyle, or a new way of thinking? 

Get out of your routine, out of your comfort zone, and reawaken that childlike curiosity inside you by exploring life this week. Talk to new people, go a different way to work, pick up a book you never thought you would read, or change the radio station. Become curious and become curious about change. There is so much to discover and so much to experience. You can find a new way to enjoy your life even in economic hard times by being curious about what new things life can offer you. 

Becoming curious will open your life up to new experiences and leave you with a new smile on your face . It will actually not be a new smile, but will be that same baby like smile you had when you naturally sparkled from exploring your curiosity. Your life is limited only by you, and you can change it by exploring your options, not by remaining stuck in your behavior. Become curious and discover new ways to maximize your life.