The importance of curiosity

One of my favorite things about my recent trip to India was living in a perpetual state of awe. Everything felt so foreign, from the nuances of how people moved their faces to literal wonder of the Taj Mahal, which meant that every moment felt new. Even the mundane car trips were something to behold, an adventure. My curiosity meter was constantly at an 11 out of 10. And I loved it.

Which brings me to share another big conclusion from my trip: curiosity is essential to the human soul, or at least it is for mine. And I think generally, people define curiosity in a way that is far too narrow. I for one remember naturally associating "curiosity" with an innate need to question things. I tend to often skip the questioning phase when I learn new information. I'm quick to accept different things as fact, probably because I'm quite trusting. And because in the past I've been a bit shy, a bit afraid of domineering conversation in some social settings, and afraid of being wrong in public situations, I certainly didn't as a lot of questions. So, I never thought of myself as a curious person.

When I was working with my first coach Caroline, early on in our sessions she had me take a personality test that defined my top traits. To my surprise, curiosity rose to the top. I shared my surprise with Caroline, and it was in this moment that I realized 1. there are so many ways to define curiosity and 2. the way we see ourselves can be SO out of alignment with the way others see us. Caroline saw me as a very curious person, even evidenced in the amount of self work I had done and would continue to do, the amount of books I liked to read, the variety of topics I wanted to cover. Recently, I was listening to a podcast where Oprah (that's right, OPRAH) shared she had never seen herself as curious, either! So, if you too have cast yourself among the "uncurious," know that you absolutely are, and that you're in good company as well. 

So here's what I've learned: curiosity can look like whatever turns you on and piques your interest. Curiosity is feeding your soul via information, and that information can come in from any of your senses. It can be in the form of savoring a new dish, touching a lover, reading a book, asking someone about their life, and yes, traveling. It can spark in your work, in your side gig, in your free time, and if you're lucky - in all of these things. The important thing is to recognize what feeds your curiosities, what lights you up, and then make time to do those things. And, to look for the curiosities, the little moments of wonder, in every single day. I promise you they are there if you pay attention.

With love. x

KT

Got the Taj in my eyes

Thanks to our tour guide who fancied himself a photographer :)