Curiosity unleashes your imagination and releases you from habits. When you pause and get curious new viewpoints emerge and with them creative ideas that help you uncover obstacles, solve problems and expand your success both personally and professionally.
Staying curious starts with asking “what else”.
Whether or not you prefer the current situation or event, asking “what else” reveals options to consider. You can alter your experience of a situation by asking questions like:
- What else could this mean?
- What can I learn from this?
- What is the opportunity here for me?
Our brains are mostly lazy, so pausing, getting curious and then choosing whether to react or respond is a life-long process of awareness, training and practice. Without that training you may find yourself using the FOUR most dangerous words –
“I ALREADY KNOW THAT” – a sure sign of comatose curiosity.
Imagine you’re walking through a forest. A reaction is like taking the path that is already cleared. Our lazy brains like it because it’s quick and easy to repeat. A response is like skipping the cleared path and taking the time to chop through a new route. Being curious during this process ensures that you stay on the new path even though it is harder to clear. The uncharted territory leads to creative discoveries, empowerment and a new course of action. Where are you ready to clear a new path?
Curiosity becomes an alternative to frustration.
Last week I wrote about my frustration while stuck in traffic anxious about missing a flight. When I ask the “what else” questions above, I get some bizarre answers; answers that transform my frustration into gratitude and leave me empowered. One answer to the question “what is the opportunity for me of the missed flight” was that the missed flight was going to slide off the runway a few hours later. Wow! New viewpoint!
Now, I would NEVER wish for an airline accident and could easily have imagined avoiding being seated next to a crying infant as the empowering outcome of a missed flight. No matter what the alternative thought, redirecting your imagination toward the numerous potential positives in any situation lets get present and re-focus on priorities when the unexpected happens.
With new perspectives you can respond to situations rather than habitually react.
We have great power to redirect our imagination and alter our viewpoint of any event. This power to re-write your ‘experience of an experience’ can be used to YOUR success advantage once you know how. It starts with asking “what else”.
Your logical adult mind might think it’s silly to take the time to ask “what else” and look at the options. It would much prefer staying on the easy path that’s already cleared, react quickly, and move on. But the child in you might love it! What fun and empowering viewpoints will you create today?
