Did curiosity kill the cat? Hell no. Curiosity gave that furball nine lives!
Oddly, curiosity rarely (if ever) makes the list of Top 10 Attributes of Happy and Successful People. I don’t understand. When you think about it, curiosity alone could probably take credit for where we are today, personally and collectively.
It was curiosity that drove cave men out of caves; curiosity led to the great and dangerous high seas explorations; curiosity sent mankind to the moon, and it is curiosity that will drive Elon Musk at SpaceX to colonize Mars—in his lifetime!!!
What about YOU? Do you consider yourself a curious person? Well, you are, whether you think so or not. How many times each day do you silently say to yourself, “I wonder…” or “What if…” or “Maybe if I…” You can’t “not be curious” because you are, by nature, hard-wired to be so. It’s obviously human nature.
The Secret Engine to Drive All Dreamers
What are you most curious about (besides who killed JFK)?
Don’t you find yourself wondering, “What it would be like to be famous or rich or important or influential or adventurous?” Or maybe what fun you’d have with that special car or great house? Perhaps, you’re a huge “wonderer” and you wonder if there was some way you could impact hunger or housing or poverty in general?
After “wondering” (or being curious) you find yourself moving to the next most natural step: dreaming. You find yourself attempting to answer that “what if” question with a dream and by staying curious.
Stay Curious or Stay Stuck
By now you know that I’m big on dreaming, and fighting to make those dreams a reality. It’s your curiosity that will keep you in the adventurous game of life. So you have a choice (1) Stay Curious, Dream Big, and Move Forward, or (2) Acquiesce to your current situation, block your curiosity, don’t dream and then you get to… Stay Stuck, wherever you are.
As a reader of this blog, my guess is that you are already a curious dreamer and if you aren’t, you want to be. Good for you. That’s why you are or will be a difference-maker. Your world and the planet need you. Let’s contemplate just how you can get even better at developing your curiosity and building big dreams.
Here are a few Ideas to Develop a Hugely Curious Nature THIS YEAR…
1. Find and develop relationship with curious people.
A commonly used phrase is that you are the aggregate of the 5 people with whom you most associate. You ARE who you hang with. You know, couch-slouches watching TV with a beer every night are not the sort of people that will help you be the person you dream to be. You already know that simple truth.
Do you have a “curious friend” in your life? If not, it’s time to look. I have a couple of really curious friends and after pondering this post I realize I need to spend more time with them. (Look out CJ, Dudley and Lisa cause here I come!!!)
Finally, on this topic, I have to encourage you to get rid of toxic people. You know, those lazy and negative people whose lives always seem to be filled with some kind of drama. Man, you don’t need them. But remember, they need you because they need someone else to support their non-ceasing drama. Don’t get used.
2. List at least one thing you want to learn more about.
My son has decided to learn card tricks during his off time and he actually has become a pretty good magician with cards. This whole website / blog/ with soon-to-come videos is a whole new learning experience for me. I surround myself with experts, read voraciously, take classes and practice… on you, haha.
What about you? What do you want to learn? Surely there is more than one thing, but just pick one. Schedule it and do it. It’s sooo cool. You’ll love it.
3. Experience at least one new unusual adventure.
Ask yourself:
- What would it be like to do…?
- What would it be like to see…?
- What would it be like to feel…?
Do something, be something or feel something new. Select just one thing and DO IT!
My outrageously talented painter friend is making her dream come true this week. Suffering from almost disabling habitual migraines (lasting more than a year) she has decided to push on and not let her disease define her.
She rented a gallery / studio to paint and sell her art. It is the bold move of a dreamer that won’t be distracted by hard circumstances. As a result she motivates the rest of us who have no excuse.
So let’s have fun, huh? Be curious, dream, and then make it so!
Let the rest of us know what you’re up to in the comments section. We’re a community of curious dreamers who make a difference. Let’s encourage each other with our thoughts and actions.
And oh… it wasn’t Lee Harvey.
