Curiosity

They say that "Curiosity killed the cat" to highlight the risk and fear of the unknown; but maybe this depends on the cat and what context we are discussing.  For people when it comes to learning and development, curiosity is a positive thing as it allows you to explore the world around you. Curiosity is about discovering something, being there, participating as well as answering questions.

Whenever you allow yourself to be curious you are more open to meeting people, going on adventures, and more willing to try new things. Once you try new things your mind is opened to new ideas thus becoming more creative in this way.

Highly successful people are typically characterized by these two traits; being curious and creative. They always ask questions to people around them and listen to their answers. They are motivated and enjoy reading on subjects of interest. These people are always thinking about their own ideas and concepts, love to plan, believe in long-term goals, and are willing to work towards them. They are looking for ways to improve and are eager to explore different opportunities and ideas.

As curiosity is a good trait especially in regards to a job prospect or when it comes to networking and people interactions in this article we will go through some ways we could fuel curiosity.

The Curious Mind

"What is your primary concern right now, in this situation?" unfamiliarity tends to be uncomfortable. We don't like to do hard things, or things that don't resonate right away, or things we think of as not normal. If we make ourselves uncomfortable and we do something challenging we can create curiosity. In this way, we can provoke some curiosity and some exploration.

Furthermore, maybe you have noticed that curiosity is contagious too. This means that by posing the right questions, especially the right "why" questions while speaking less you can cultivate curiosity. So if I can help you in this situation by raising some of your curiosity by asking questions, for example, "Is there something else that you could be doing?", then you start being more open, explore your experiences and the things that you're curious about. I can get you into a different place, you can get to a different place, you can engage in a different process, and it can actually start to lead to learning or discovery.

It was mentioned earlier that curiosity is a good trait when it comes to networking and people interaction, this is true. One way to improving networking skills and relationships is to be good at answering questions. Don’t just nod or try to make a little joke to escape when a question is asked. Start looking at people as if they are the most interesting thing in the world. Be open-minded and in return, you will see that you will attract people with open minds the most, building further your network. Open-minded people are actually the ones that can help you cultivate further your curiosity and personal development as they can nudge you outside your comfort zone and thus lead you to explore things that you consider currently uncomfortable.

To conclude take this curiosity and turn it into an opportunity for growth and exploration.  Curiosity is this thirst for knowledge, that fuels all the wonderful things our world has to offer. It is that burning desire to get beyond what is known, to test and push the boundaries of the unknown. But most of all, it is an open mind, the willingness to ask questions. The opportunity for you to discover what there is to discover and to share with others the many wondrous things that live only on the edges of your imagination.