“Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough.”
-Richard Feynman
We see the world through the windows of our mind. Keeping these windows open demands time, energy and commitment. Feelings of frustration, disappointment, boredom and uncertainty cause us to retreat and little by little, inexorably begin to shut these windows behind us. As they close, our view of the world begins to narrow and our horizons shrink. Dust obscures our vision, colors fade, our thoughts become stale and atrophy. We stop asking questions.
What happens when we let curiosity into this shadowy place?
Curiosity is both an antidote for what ails us and a stimulant for growth and wonder. Without curiosity we lose our beginner’s mind and settle into the restrictive confines of the know-it-all. We can only begin to realize our dreams and build new paths by harnessing the magic of questions and a desire to learn.
In the words of Albert Einstein and Walt Disney:
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
—Albert Einstein
“When you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.”
—Walt Disney
When we are curious, the confining burden of being perfect and the expert falls from our shoulders. Curiosity represents vulnerability cloaked in confidence and courage. The confidence to respect what we know and the courage to keep learning and growing.
“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”
—E.E. Cummings
