The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth – Chapter 12 – The Law of Curiosity

Curios people possess a thirst for knowledge. They are interested in life, people, ideas, experiences, events, and they live in a constant state of wanting to learn more. People who are curious don’t need to be encouraged to ask questions or explore.

Cultivate your Curiosity

1. Believe You Can Be Curious. Don’t fill your mind with limiting beliefs. Give yourself permission to be curious. The single greatest difference between curious people and those who aren’t is the belief that they CAN learn, grow, and change.

2. Have a Beginner’s Mindset. The way you approach life has nothing to do with your age. It has everything to do with your attitude. Having a beginner’s mindset means wondering why and asking a lot of questions until you get the answer. People with a beginner’s mindset approach life the way that a child does: with curiosity.

3. Make Why Your Favorite Word. Albert Einstein said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.” The secret to maintaining that ‘holy curiosity’ is to always keep asking why.

4. Spend Time with Other Curious People. Not much to explain here. Our education system and the corporate world does not foster curiosity. You must reach out and get it.

5. Learn something New Every Day. One of the best ways to remain curious is to begin

each day with a determination to learn something new, experience something different or meet someone you don’t already know. First, you must wake up with an attitude of openness to something new. Second, you must keep your eyes and ears open as you go through the day. Third, you must reflect on what you hear and see. It does little good to see something new without taking time to think about it. Personally, I am practicing mindfulness and meditation.

6. Partake in the Fruits of Failure. A curious, growing person approaches failure in a way completely different from someone who isn’t curious. Most people see failure, mistakes, and errors as signs of weakness. But people who grow and develop see failure as a sign of progress. They know that it is impossible to continually try without sometimes failing.

7. Stop Looking for the Right Answer. There is always more than one solution to a problem. No idea is perfect. No matter how good it is, it can always be improved.

8. Get Over Yourself. If you are going to ask questions and allow yourself to fail, then you will at times look foolish. Instead, we need to be more like children.

9. Get Out of the Box. To quote Einstein again, “There ain’t no rules around here! We’re trying to accomplish something.” Beak out of your boxes and become a hunter of ideas. Again, it requires a change in mindset. The average person asks themselves “Can I do this?” Change this to “How can I?”

10. Enjoy Your Life. Perhaps the greatest way to remain curious and keep growing is to enjoy life. That means taking risks – sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding, but always learning. When you enjoy life, the lines between work and play begin to blur. We do what we love and love what we do.

The Law of Curiosity – Chapter 12 of the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John C Maxwell