The Secret to finding Fun through Curiosity and Discovery

I really enjoyed listening to The Habit of Possibility podcast, episode #3: How to Build Better Relationships in Business and Life.

One theme that really stood out to me was the idea of staying in curiosity, discovery—and fun! Robbie shared a beautiful story about how, through a series of unexpected events, she and her son found themselves on a journey full of adventure. If everything had gone according to plan, they would have missed out on all the unexpected experiences that unfolded. That really landed for me.

It made me reflect on how easy it is—as humans, and certainly for myself—to get caught up in the humdrum of everyday life. The daily monotony of crossing things off the to-do list, getting from point A to point B. But this story opened up a new possibility for me. It invited me to step more fully into a mindset of, “Oo! I wonder what adventure I might find myself in today? I wonder who I might meet, and what I might learn about them?”

Growing up, I was often told I was a shy little girl—and I believed it. That story followed me into adulthood. Even when I appeared confident on the outside, deep down I was still that shy little girl, worried about saying or doing the “wrong” thing.

But over the last year and a half (or more), I’ve been learning what it means to get out of my own way. By stepping out of my head and becoming genuinely curious about the world outside my small (and often imaginary) world, I’ve found so much joy in simply being with other people. When it stopped being about me and became about them—getting to know them, listening to their stories—the worry started to fade. I could enjoy myself so much more in conversations and interactions. And little by little, I began to feel comfortable in my own skin.

So now, I make it a practice to show up each day with curiosity, asking: Where might life take me today? Who might I meet? What kind of conversations will I have? What am I going to learn and discover?

And I bring this attitude with me in every part of my life—with my husband, our two teenage boys, friends, colleagues, and even in simple moments at the grocery store or coffee shop.

Life is the adventure. There are so many stories to be heard and things to learn. The possibilities are endless when we open up the cover of life and allow ourselves to discover what’s written on each turning page.