So many thoughts running through my head today … but there’s not a logical place to start because the thoughts are not linear. The thoughts are all tied together and feed off of each other. The thoughts inform each other, but no thought is necessarily first in the sequence. I am feeling compelled to write. I have a notebook of quotes and book excerpts that I like – but I don’t have a place where I’ve expressed what I’m thinking about because of what I’ve read. Perhaps, this is my attempt to do that. Instead of figuring out how to wrap this up nicely and present it as the perfect blog concept … I am just going to start writing.
Curiosity
Each week, I receive an email from Angela Duckworth and her crew at Character Lab. I am a big fan, so I may reference her often. This week, she wrote about curiosity: wanting to know more. To gauge our own level of curiosity, the reader was encouraged to contemplate, “How many of these things are true?” of the past week:
- I got so absorbed in learning that I lost track of time.
- I talked to someone who gave me a new idea or changed my mind.
- I took the initiative to learn more about one of my interests.
- When I didn’t know the answer to a question, I couldn’t rest until I figured it out.
- I explored a completely new idea or topic—just for the fun of it.
A few days later, I read an article by Stephanie Vozza in Fast Company entitled, “How to Train Your Brain to Become More Curious.” It wasn’t really the title that intrigued me; it was the byline: “Curiosity is a superpower.” In my work with high school students, I find that we are often talking about superpowers. The article goes on to point out that curiosity – like creativity – is stamped out of us as we grow older.
Vozza wraps up by saying, “Curiosity can be a force for connection.” Duckworth always shares ideas on how to ‘model, celebrate, and enable’ whatever concept she is presenting – which is also directed towards connecting.
So, this is where I am … (1) trying to make sure that I am often being curious, and (2) contemplating how to engage with my family and friends about topics they’ve been exploring. Tips for me to remember:
“I listened to the most amazing story today. Let me tell you about it!” – That is easily something I would say, but I want to give someone else the opportunity to say that to me. I should ask them a thoughtful question!
“Establish an end-of-day ritual to share one thing each person in the family learned that they did not know before.” – Our family used to do ‘highs & lows’ around the dinner table. This would be an easy ritual to incorporate with that. This could also be the ‘question of the day’ for my teen board. Working this into a casual conversation with my friends and family will be more challenging.
Why is this important to me right now? Well, I do think I’m in a cycle of constant self-improvement. I always want to be growing. And when I think about the conversations I’m having with my family and friends, I do want there to be a level of intentionality. I don’t just want to know what everyone is watching on Netflix. Even a conversation about the latest books you’ve read rarely takes a deep dive into the concepts or issues woven into the text. And then there’s Miss Tallulah. How will I intentionally engage with her? What rituals will we develop together? How will I help her enhance and maintain her curiosity superpower?
Patch405 