Last week I left you standing on the edge of your own personal greatness. I proposed that with curiosity, you can begin to understand what may be holding you back, blocking your path, leaving you feeling frustrated and possibly even not good enough to follow your dream. I shared my idea that being open to discovery, a phrase I use in my book starts with curiosity. It only makes sense, right? If you don’t take the time to be curious about the most important person in your life (YOU!), how will you understand why you act and react the way you do? Why would you care to know that? Because with understanding comes change.

 

Changing Your Life Comes Through Self-Discovery; Self-Discovery Is About Getting To Know You

Before I go any further, I want to share a brief story. Wednesday night I was having dinner with a friend who has decided she wants to be a stand-up comic. Nancy has a great sense of humor, but she was dead serious and a bit nervous when she explained this week’s assignment for the course she is taking. You see, over the next seven days, it’s her task to make a list of five things she finds funny. That part is easy enough, but the next step is to explain why those things are funny to her. She’s nervous because, like most of us, she has never thought about why things make her laugh. They just do.

Curiosity as the Catalyst for Self-Discovery

Time, attention, and practice are usually required to understand anything better—and that includes understanding yourself. For the coming week, I invite you to start practicing curiosity about you. Start by setting aside five minutes a day. From my own experience, I can imagine where your mind just went. Where are you going to find an extra five minutes in your day? And even if you do find the time, what questions would you ask yourself?

The questions part is easy because I’ve made a short list to spark your thought process. The first two are fun. The third is intended to be a bit more challenging.

Points to Ponder

  • What excites you? Why does it excite you? Digging into the “why” is where the fun is!
  • What do you like about yourself? What makes you smile about you? Why do you feel the way you do about these traits? (Don’t be shy about this! It’s the fun part!)
  • Okay, on to a more challenging question: What is the one “thing” that gets under your skin? You know the one. Each time it happens, you promise yourself that next time you will not let it bother you. But when next time happens, you struggle. So, now it’s time to examine why this “thing” bothers you? Make a list and share it with someone if you can. (If you want to share it with me, I am open and willing to help you. Email me at [email protected]!) This can be a very healing practice. It may take you more than a few minutes to do, but it is incredibly valuable to understand.

If that little voice in your head is already telling you there’s no time for this silly exercise, I want to share a technique I learned from a friend. Each time the voice starts on that annoying loop, simply say, “I know you, little voice! You don’t have my best interest at heart. You don’t want me to be better. GO AWAY!”

Curiosity is a life-changing tool, and it’s right there for you. It always has been. With a few simple questions, you can begin the process of getting “unstuck,” breaking out of a repeating pattern, overcoming not-good-enough issues and so much more. It starts here—with a simple exercise. Give it a shot. You deserve to live better every single day.

Next week I’m going to start talking about recognizing and healing the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with curiosity. Be sure to join me!

#change #changeyourlife #healing #curiosity