Curiosity
Daily writing experience - day 4
Curiosity
I've always enjoyed learning. As far as I can remember, I've always been curious… about where I find myself, the people engaged in the space, and the actions I see happening around me.
My curiosity used to get me in trouble, especially when I'd blurt out what I thought was an obvious and innocent question.
In hindsight, it turns out my questions weren't socially appropriate in the context I found myself in at that time, the collectivist & interdependent culture of Guatemala.
My question turned out to spotlight something everyone else already knew, and were actively choosing to ignore or sidestepping in order to avoid group discomfort or conflict within the group.
I learned to redirect my curiosity for a time through my love affair with the written word.
My desire to get my questions answered was satisfied by those who had written down facts, experiences or their thoughts on purpose for others to read.
As a kid, one of my biggest sources of joy was opening any volume of the encyclopedia to any page and getting lost in reading.
We were very different from our neighbors in this regard. Our family lacked some things, but having access to books wasn't one of them.
What a surprise it was for me the first time the third grade class of University Hills Elementary marched to the school library. This turned out to be a weekly occurrence. And one could even take the books home to read for free!
I'd never had access to so many books before. I could try whatever I was curious about at least once. And if the subject hooked me, I could go down long tunnels which have sometimes landed me in surprising places.
Access to different information meant opening my mind to different worlds where my questions could be answered, and my curiosity satisfied.
It's been a long journey to get comfortable with following my curiosity unfettered.
As a coach, I'm now trained to ask for permission before asking a disruptive or challenging question. These powerful questions can support a client's awareness of a blindspot, a problematic behavior pattern or an unaddressed opportunity.
Creating a safe space in which these conversations can happen is a huge part of co-creating the client-coach relationship. Therefore it's important to put the clients safety needs on a balance with what my curiosity alerts me to that might move the client forward.
I love my curiosity. And now I even get to have fun and be surprised by the insights or new places my questions lead.
Are you curious?