Curiosity

“Every day’s a school day.”?

I’m not sure where my husband Andrew Lynskey first learned that saying but he uses it often.? And I couldn’t agree more.? In fact, I consider myself radically curious and try to live my life in a constant state of inquiry.? I think that’s why originally I wanted to study Psychology when I first attended the University of Florida.? I absolutely loved the handful of Psych classes I took before switching majors to study Interior Design and even today if I meet a psychologist I love to geek out about what makes people do the things that they do.?

Since leaving college, I’ve continued to develop my love of learning and staying curious. Whether it’s through conversations, books, or podcasts, I love to learn about people.? My mother always taught me that people love to talk about themselves, all you have to do is ask questions.? As a child, we’d know the life story of a supermarket bag person before we arrived at our car, as my mom would be questioning them as we walked through the parking lot.? To this day I can’t stand it when people are on their phones while checking out.? Just put it down and engage with people! See the human behind the counter and treat them as you’d want to be treated.??

I enjoy exploring new cultures and trying new activities and foods.? When visiting another area of the world I tend to fully immerse myself in local cuisine and try to take in what the locals do instead of sticking with only tourist attractions.? One of my fondest memories is accidentally coming upon a cricket match in Bermuda before my husband and I were married.? Bermudians are religious about cricket and it’s a full day’s affair.? I had never seen cricket before but being married to a Brit, I had the chance to learn all about it from both him and the many locals we encountered that were more than happy to share their passion.??

Another trick I have is Conversation Cards.? I put them under everyone’s plates at dinner parties and special occasions.? Otherwise, often the extroverts rule the table and introverts don’t get a word in edgewise.? If I sense someone is not involved in the conversation I’ll announce, “Time to check under your plate!” I see who has a smile immediately on their face and I ask them to read their card and answer the question on it.? Then going clockwise around the table, everyone else offers an answer to the question that was posed.? It is such a wonderful way to get to know people!? We’ve integrated it at work and it’s one of the highlights of our Thanksgiving potluck.?

Intentional curiosity is second nature to me but it’s not all about my external world.? I also ponder the questions posed to others for myself.? I want to constantly be striving to be a better human than I used to be and staying curious about the things that stand in my way helps me do that!??

Are you curious?? If so, how do you stay intentional about that??

(There I go with more questions!)?