Boredom comes from lack of imagination and being stuck in the perpetual fear that looms from those who surround us in this world projecting their conditioning to play safe above all else, to people please and sit in the sinking chair of victimhood. Curius people are problem solvers, they know there is always a will and a way and they are going to find it! Problem solvers are successful because they figure things out, they make things happen and they are always curious. Curious people are open to the possibility they might be wrong, there might be a better way, that what they have been taught or told may not be true, thus, they are more likely to be critical thinkers.
It’s true what they say, great risk brings great reward, but the reason it works is because you are truly curious, invested, and committed to what you are willing to take a risk on because you know the magnitude of success that can come from it. It could be a successful relationship, career, investment, sacrificing time to learn a new skill or even an experience, but the constant is you, the constant is how bad do you really want something in your life to be willing to go all-in?
Are you really committed, invested and curious and how does the way you prioritize your life reflect that? Are you just telling yourself you want “the thing” but your lack of effort and willingness to do the hard things and the work it takes to make it yours, telling another story? Do you like the idea of having something but are too afraid to let yourself want it, take the risks, or let go of distractions and comforts that keep you stuck to go and get it?
I guess I’m lucky in the sense that I didn’t grow up with the distraction of technology the kids have today. I entertained myself through building curiosity within, exploring backyard ditches, rolling down grassy hills, climbing trees, roller skating, cutting out paper dolls, making mud pies, reading, and chasing fireflies…there was a lot stillness, sitting in the mud, but there was never boredom.
I’ve always wondered how anyone can ever be bored when at any given moment there are infinite things to ponder, explore, or investigate. I don’t think being busy for the sake of being busy is good either, that, in itself, is a form of boredom, far different from the choice to do the same thing over and over with the intention of mastery.
So inside this principle lives nuance, yet I have learned that not everyone is innately curious and the most successful people I know either have this somehow built-in to them or have learned to cultivate it within themselves. By successful, I mean interesting, alive, the kind of people who have stories to tell, who can jump into a variety of conversations and participate because they have a breadth of wisdom and aren’t afraid to share their opinions or perspectives, even if not accepted, even if rejected. Somehow, they know that even in rejection they have planted a seed in a mind inviting in questions and new thoughts that have never floated through the ears…. until that moment. They don’t do it for that seed planting though, they do it because they are being authentic….and curious.
Thus, in this context, success and/or real prosperity, comes from pushing to the edge, the edge of risk, of desire to know-feel-experience, the courage to be liked and disliked, the understanding that life is fleeting and the reward is in the seeking, the doing and the being…. all-in.
Successful people are interesting. Interesting people are curious. Successful people know that success is not just about status or wealth but the richness of life that being curious can bring. Fulfillment from committing to curiosity creates new paths and opens new doors beyond the linear path societal conditioning sells as “the way.” Opening up to possibilities that look different than imagined is a key component towards greater success and a benefit of being open and curious, while also going all-in with committment and consistency in the direction of your desired outcome.
If you aren’t all-in on something then you are playing it safe, you fear your own power, you run from the responsibility, or you dance around inevitabilities pretending that you’ll do it another day but you know you won’t, because you don’t really want it enough to find out. Often people like the idea of success in different areas of life, of prosperity, of traveling to far away lands, but it’s all a dream, a fantasy, an imaginative play that only the viewer can see and no one else in the world, it’s not co-creative, it’s not giving others the gift of being inspired through your risk, of interacting with you in a moment in time, of sharing a manifested reality, it’s not real…until you are ready to act, to receive, to become, to awaken the flame a little bit more.
So how does one cultivate curiosity, let us explore a few ideas together:
Be Bold. Inside everyone is a song waiting to be sung, a self-censored voice waiting to be heard, an art never shared with the world, a book never published, an outfit never donned. What if you said the thing you really felt? What if you wore the vintage dress that really emulates who you are? What if the risk of not doing something was far more worth it than the fear of rejection? What are you waiting for? “How long are you going to wait before you demand the best of yourself?”
Pattern Interruption. Routine is great, it keeps us disciplined and making progress and I personally feel great satisfaction checking things off lists, but variety and change keeps momentum. Interrupting patterns in our routine can bring about new insights and ideas that fuel us, or can even bring about a change of direction. From brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand to walking backwards, little “hiccups” self-imposed throughout the day interject the possibility for shifts in beliefs and, in turn, shifts in reality.
Counter-intuitiveness. Whether you are putting in the time every day to gain mastery in a certain skill or washing the dishes, there are things that will always seem second nature or even boring. Ask yourself how you can make these experiences even better, how you can bring more intention into them and how this is making you better, what is it teaching you or showing you? This is an opportunity for micro-learning, in noticing subtleties, in zooming in to the nuance, it’s a level of curiosity squinting deep inside the things that have become so fixed that you can’t see the deeper benefit unfolding. People talk a lot about zooming out on their lives, but what If you take a moment to zoom in with a fine-tooth comb, a magnifying glass and really look into what is shaping you, making you, breaking you, defining you on the smallest scale of being. I bet you’ll be surprised what you find. What is staring back at you and what is calling for attention to be noticed?
Seeking. For God’s sake don’t be afraid of seeking truth or answers or honesty. Listen to that podcast that has insight on a topic you know you need improvement on but don’t want to hear… or deep down are curious about but scared to admit it because in doing so might change your beliefs and new beliefs will change you and if you change your life will change and your circumstsances and the way people around you view you, and you’re too scared to let that happen. Read that esoteric book someone sent you that might shake up your world with new beliefs and painful cognitive dissonance. Dive into that project even though you have no idea what the heck you are doing but you have to start somewhere even if the finish line falls flat. Start dating again even though you are a loner stuck in your ways. You will never have regrets by getting uncomfortable, from seeking solutions and being open to being uncomfortable or simply searching for what you know you don’t know.
Do Stuff. Create a new experience in your home or take a trip or learn a new hobby or read a book or get a new pet, just do something to break up the doldrums of getting pulled into the distractions and rat wheel of life that leads you nowhere, of doing things the same way you always have that led you to the same now. New experiences mean failure and that failure will give you so much more breadth of life, feedback, and exhilaration than standing still ever could. Trying is bullshit, start doing.
Embrace your Flaws. Your flaws, whatever they are, make you unique. You’d be a fucking bore without them, so stop trying to cover them up. Some flaws we can’t help because they are physical, like I have a bony pointy witch’s nose, I used to get teased for it as a child, but now I love it because its got magical abilities to sniff out even the most deceptive bullshit and it stands out on my face in a way that commands a certain prominence. I like big noses and ears and strange features, if this is you, congratulations, you won, you pulled the long straw, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If you have a unique perspective or a talent or learned some wacky hobby once that you stored away in the closet, let it out again, do your party tricks, sing your song, be strange, be you.
Enrich others. Listen to others and ask questions in a genuine effort to get to know them. Teach what you know even if it’s just by writing a blog or one-on-one with a client. Your individual experiences and expression are needed by someone in this world, don’t hide it. Keep learning through trial and error, reading, podcasts, experiences, as you enrich your own life you open the door to enrich others. Most of all enrich others with your honesty, authenticity and stance on things you feel strongy about, don’t people please, don’t be afraid to offend. Even if you are ridiculed or don’t feel seen, the reward from being fully yourself will be felt inside and that is a form of success.
Curious people are interesting people because they are led by that curiosity, which is an aspect of being in touch with the inner child, always asking questions, always wondering what if, always exposing themselves to the unknown, diving into uncertainty, and passionately moving through the world. Make the connections and time you do have with people count, quality over quantity always.
On top of that, I bet at least once in your life you’ve been annoyed with yourself, over your own bullshit, bored with your excuses…admit it? I bet you have a regret somewhere of a risk you didn’t take that you wish you did? I bet that if you did take a risk on something, even if it didn’t work out like you hoped, you learned so much that the experience became invaluable to who you are today. Remember that.
So if you want to be successful, get curious…curious about the world around you, curious about who you really are and what you are made of, curious about places and experiences, curious about how you can serve and show up, curious about how to overcome fears or what is holding you back, just get really curious about life and watch the depth and richness of being unfold in every area of life.
Curiosity is a key component to critical thinking, reasoning, discernment AND imagination, dreaming, desires. It’s a bridge between logic and creativity, left and right, the seen and unseen, it’s an inward pull to try this or that, take a step here or there, it is the Divine Dance connecting through you inviting you to explore, experience and create.
How committed, invested, and curious are you willing to be in order to examine your life, not just looking back from your deathbed, but annually,. and say, that was an epic year, let’s make the next one even more so! Maybe you once took chances, had adventures and/or created new experiences for yourself, knowing that the key to keeping that spark alive for life is about being comfortable with being uncomfortable, the inner knowing that change is inevitable, and you can find that place once more. Maybe the busyness of life took over, responsibilities, circumstances out of your control, or distractions. This is normal, life will always ebb and flow, sometimes falling into the trap of boredom, monotony or going through the motions like groundhog day is just what one needs to re-invigorate that fever pitch and get back in the saddle. Don’t let the world tell you who to be and don’t hold back.
There are plenty of people going through the motions, hitting snooze on their dreams, bored out of their minds with nothing of interest to say except to regurgitate what everybody else is saying and thinking and doing…so you might as well be you, eh? After all, if you aren’t willing to break some rules, try something new, embody a sense of wonder, take the bumpy dirty road, peak over the edge of a cliff, how will you ever know what could have been? What possibilities are lurking around the corner waiting on you to look…to find…to seek? Like the game of hide and seek as kids, so much sits right under our nose and a little curiosity might just bring it to life.
You’ve got this.
Stay open and curious.
Be weird. Be silly. Be unhinged. Be smart. Be brave. Be curious. Be successful. Be you.
With love,
Angela