Curiosity as a Force for Moving Forward

 

If you want to cross the bridge from fear to excitement, there is one thing you need for the journey…curiosity.

 

Half-Way Point

I read somewhere that July 1 – Canada Day – marked the exact half-way point through the year 2016. Wow! I knew it was moving quickly – that was solid evidence. It felt like it just began – or in fact, had yet to quite get going!

It’s funny because I had just been thinking about where I am in my life right now. As much as the end of a year always leaves me feeling like it’s a good time to review, the summer evokes the same urges for me. It feels like a natural place to pause and has always felt like a time to slow down. I’m sure many can relate especially, if you live somewhere where summer seems really short!

What I\’m realizing is that anytime is a good time to slow down and check in.

 

How Well Do You Embrace the Mystery?

I recognized that my immediate future seems like it is full of mystery right now. There is so much that I can’t see clearly…yet. I can feel certain things emerging – gaining momentum – I am feeling clearer about what I anticipate coming. No hard evidence yet.

When that realization hit me, it came with a little twinge of fear and anxiety. Eeek! You mean I don’t’ know what’s going to happen next?

And then it hit me, have I ever really known for sure what was going to happen next? I’ve had the rug pulled out from under me more than once in my life. And not just in the face of unexpected events that left me reeling, but also internal shifts and insights that hit me like a ton of bricks and lead to new choices and decisions that created upheaval in my life – and at times, the lives of others.

Anyone relate to that false sense of security that we garner from believing that we know what is coming next – that we can predict how events will unfold?

Anyone connect to the experience that when life feels like this, it can also suddenly start to feel boring or mundane? This is true for me on some level. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating calling in or creating chaos and drama as a path to excitement. And at the same time, I can recognize this type of pattern in my life over the years.

 

It’s Flat for a Reason

It is more useful to dig into the flatness and boredom – even if there is a sense of security involved – and ask it questions. It might just be a minor tweak that is required to create a renewed sense of adventure and inspiration. We can create our own sense of mystery.

As I reflected on this sense of mystery in my life at this point – feeling those pangs of fear about to make the jump into worry – I had to wonder where is the intrigue here?

What if, instead of going into the old story in my head about all that could possibly go wrong or not work out, I looked at this station in my life through the eyes of curiosity?

I suddenly heard my own voice in my head making the grand declaration that I want to live a life full of emotion – a life of vibrant feelings – a life characterized by my own excitement and sense of adventure. Yes, this is what I want!

I was also struck with the realization that I have not always fully embraced this when it entered my life. Talk about mixed messages!

Please grant me a life full of adventure, passion, creativity and love, but make sure that I feel like I know every turn on the road and I always feel comfortable.

 

What Do You Really Want?

Hmmm…so what do I really want? Is it more of the same? Yes, to much of it actually and not so much to other parts!

Adventure and mystery – intrigue and discovery – absolutely without a doubt requires that we venture into an unknown space. No way around it.

So no wonder I felt some fear and apprehension. I comforted myself in that completely understandable response. As soon as I stayed with what I was feeling, it began to shift.

Suddenly, the possibility that there was an entirely different way to approach this opportunity – a brand new way to navigate the path of the unknown. It was also a chance to move from surviving to thriving.

As I stand at this crossroads – this wide-open space of possibility in my life – I hold the absolute power to make different decisions starting with the choice to step forward with the deepest sense of curiosity I can muster and to build that every day.

I can move from “I’m scared because I don’t know what’s going to happen” to “I can hardly wait to see what’s going to happen next!” Huge energy shift. Major.

A feeling of expansion and liberation began to bubble inside of me and the constriction in my chest began to loosen. Living a life that we design – creating our own adventure – does not need to make us feel like we are losing our grip. We can learn to be there for ourselves as we take the baby steps towards a new reality – just a bit each day.

Perfect timing – I can see that. In the middle of this year – in the middle of my life – I received the clear message that I have always had the gift to create my reality in ways that make my soul sing now. It felt like Christmas in July!

 

Let’s get started!

 

What dream or vision in your life could you get really curious about?

 

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