A Curious Mind

Children are innately curious. But as we grow older, many of us stop exploring. What if you questioned everything the way you did as a child? 

You wouldn’t accept “that’s just how it is” as an answer. Instead, you’d keep asking why and searching for ways to do better.

You wouldn’t judge or shut down your lines of inquiry for fear of being unproductive. Instead, you’d let your “crazy” ideas breathe and follow them where they led. You would dream, create and innovate. 

This is the spirit we need right now. To navigate our way out of the dystopian medical riddle we find ourselves living in. To interrupt the relentless march of racial injustice that continues to suffocate our society. To forge a path to economic health even as we struggle with the aforementioned. 

So, I’ve been working on my curiosity. Listening to unfamiliar voices and making new thought connections. Asking what if and what next. Indulging daydreams. Allowing the tiny spark of an idea to simmer and grow here and there. Cultivating a curious mind. 

I invite you to join me. It’s fun. Seek out new experiences and information outside your typical path. Read a book, attend a webinar, try out a new athletic or artistic activity, join a new professional group. Encounter diverse viewpoints that trigger unexpected insights. Ask lots of questions and keep an open mind. 

Hopping outside your bubble to learn from people and situations that differ from your own might inspire you. Keep a running list of all the thoughts, observations and ideas you generate. No editing, no judgements. Over time, you may find you can access your imagination and develop new ideas with increasing ease. 

We are experiencing a moment of profound reinvention, as individuals and as a society. The call is nothing less than to imagine new things and bring them to life. Rapid and radical innovation will ensue. New business models and new relationships will evolve. 

As the world reimagines everything from education to healthcare, this is a perfect time to think about your strategy, to spot trends and harness opportunities, and to question what’s next. Your curious mind will help you tackle these challenges from new angles and discover new possibilities.