Much has changed for me since I’ve adopted an attitude of being curious. A skill I’m developing with my meditation practice is altering how I can interact with others. This is a wonderful example of how changes on the inside can affect changes on the outside. It’s a knowing, coming from the wisdom. Wisdom is born from knowledge that is generated from experience. All you have to do is try it.
But first, what are we talking about? Curiosity is a strong desire to know or learn something. It’s also connected to inquiry. In the context of adopting mindfulness and advocating a life that is inclusive, curiosity is suspending judgement and bias and moving with the flow of inquiry.
Curiosity can be used as a way to inquire into our (and other’s) experience—the joyful and painful alike. Recently I’ve learned that curiosity gives us the opportunity to level the playing field of our lives so we don’t excessively privilege one experience over another. This is a way that works with mindfulness really well. The same can be said for dealing with our emotions. Curiosity lets us respect each emotion as equal to other emotions.
The benefits of adopting an attitude of curiosity are many. Here are just a few:
— Admit and acknowledge your emotions and experience without fleeing to the past or future.
— Suspend judgement in the lap of curiosity
— Helps us to accept what is
— View and experience others in the moment
— Expand as opposed to shrinking or contracting
Thanks to curiosity, I have been able to commit to a daily mindfulness meditation practice. Each time a thought, emotion or experience occurs that I may not wish to accept — I remember to become curious so I can explore it, or at the very least, sit with it for a while.
My relationship with others is shifting as a result of my work with curiosity. I am able to remain curious more often when I am in relation with others. This allows me to judge less and inquire more. I am able to suspend my opinions while I listen more carefully and deeply to the experience of others.
Will you step forward today and be curious to see where it leads you? Would you like to be coached on how to take a curious stance? Let me know! margot@margothovey.com
Comentarii