If I were to ask you, do you know why you do what you do, would you know?
As a child growing up, what one question did you ask the most? I would hazard a guess that it was ‘Why?’
Children are naturally inquisitive and curious, they want to know and understand exactly how and why things work. Not taking things for granted, they ask a myriad of questions such as, why is the sky blue? Why do people die? Why do I have to go to school? Why do I need to go to bed? Why can’t I eat chocolate for breakfast? Why? Why? Why? But, whhhhhyyyyy?
“I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.” Eleanor Roosevelt
As you get older, you tend to question things less and less, taking things for granted more and more. You fall under the spell of confirmation bias, becoming less curious and more accepting of the way you believe things to be in the world. You seek evidence to support your existing beliefs as opposed to evidence that proves you wrong. Perhaps you’ve even switched on the autopilot button to guide you through life from a safe, comfortable perspective.
Do you know what your purpose is in life? If you are unsure, you are most likely rolling with life day in, day out, reacting to what’s happening around you as opposed to taking planned deliberate action. Curiosity is unlikely to feature highly on your agenda.
Curious to understand more about all aspects of life and fascinated by people, I launched the Focus on WHY podcast in April 2020. Seeking answers to all my questions, each guest teaches me more about life. Being positively curious helps with your problem-solving and creativity. Ask yourself what will you be curious about today. Don’t stop asking questions because you fear you will be judged. People love answering questions and you will build better connections with them through doing so. When you show humility, are inquisitive and ask questions, you acknowledge that you have the capacity to continue to learn and grow throughout life.
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” William Shakespeare
Get that curiosity flowing. Switch up your thinking. Instead of saying I can’t do something, think how can I…? The brain is then instantly set a challenge to solve it. Then add one of the most magical three letter words you will ever encounter in life to each of your statements to transform impossibility into possibility, negativity into positivity. What is that magical three letter word? No, it is not ‘WHY’! It is ‘yet’. Just look at how it changes these statements.
I am not a successful bestselling author…yet.
I am not financially free…yet.
I have not found my WHY… yet.
The word ‘yet’ changes everything. It changes your mindset. Notice your language and enable it to fuel your positivity and your curiosity. Michelle Bryant shared her love for curiosity in Focus on WHY episode 027 sharing her maxim in life to Always Be Curious.
“Always be curious. Always try and learn something new every day. Embrace learning something new. Make the most of things because one person, one opportunity could really change your life and you just don’t know what it might lead to. You’ve just got to go for it.” Michelle Bryant
What positive beliefs do you hold and how do you embrace learning? Are you carving out your own life in your own way? It’s never too late to be what you might have been!
When Walt Disney was asked about curiosity, his reply was that, ‘it keeps us moving forward, exploring, experimenting, opening new doors.’ The future belongs to those who are curious. What new doors are you going to open?
ACTION POINT
Be curious and embrace learning. What will you be curious about today?
If I were to ask you again, do you know why you do what you do, would you know now?
Comments