There is a blindness in knowing.
The more we stay in our expertise, or the more we see life through the lens of "I know-it-all", things become second nature and we go into auto pilot. We take the space for granted and stop seeing the value in the world around us. Our defaults show up - whatever programs within us are usually active and commonly used, and so we see things as we've always seen them.
Expertise can be just knowing what's its like to be in your marriage, or owning your company. It is not necessarily expertise in a field of study, it could also be being an expert in being you, and living your life. You begin to stop seeing it as if it were your first time your first job or owning a business, or the first time you met your significant other. Instead, you know (or think you do) what its like, and expect it to be the same day in and day out - thus bringing the past into every moment.
Expertise can also be just living your life. I remember a moment I had on the sand in front of my condo. My daughter had just turned 2 and we were out enjoying the beach one evening after work. She picked up the sand in her little hand and stared out it, letting it run through fingers. So playful. So inquisitive. I remember thinking, when did sand become just sand for me?
It was such a pivotal moment for me, especially at that point in my life. I was practicing law at my law firm and things were starting to get routine for me. I was beginning to lose passion and felt lifeless. Bringing curiosity into my life allowed me to begin to see things half full rather than half empty. It made me overall happier, and fearless and from that state I was able to do what I had to do - leave law and start my life's mission. Because when we are curious, we are inquisitive. We are not afraid, we are trusting, relaxed and at ease.
What if you were able to see life with curiosity? Fearlessly flowing through life, looking at the moments of your life with imagination, magic, no judgment? Allowing each moment to unfold before your very eyes, trusting fully in the Universe and what it has for you. What if you could access that - time and time again.
I want to share a tool to help build your curiosity - it's foundation is in mindfulness and it super easy and practical. You'll learn tools just like this one in my retreat happening June 9 and 10.
Research suggests that approaching situations and others with curiosity can not only make them more enriching but help us experience more happiness in life. Sometimes routines or preconceived notions cause us to lose interest in an activity or experience, often before we’ve ever really given it a chance. By forcing ourselves to pay closer attention to it, we may cease to take its strengths for granted and start to appreciate its value. In her book On Become an Artist, Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer writes that, as she ran studies using this exercise, she found that “it became clear that taking notice of things expands our appreciation of them.
Choose an activity that you think you are not interested in or even dislike, such as a daily task or chore. Alternatively, you could try something out of the ordinary for you, like listening to a genre of music that’s not your favorite, eating a food you disliked as a child, watching a sport you think is boring, or learning a hobby you’ve never before found intriguing. Try to let go of any expectations, positive or negative, that you have about the experience. Simply keep an open, curious mind. While engaged in the activity, take note of at least three new things about it that you have never noticed before. You may find your preconceived ideas changing, opening up new possibilities for interest and enjoyment in your life. Even if not, you will have added a few new and interesting things to your catalog of experience.
Sometimes all that is needed is a shift of perspective - seeing life through a different lens to make it more enjoyable. We can't always immediately change our circumstances so why not try to enjoy it - the essential feelings of attracting and creating what you really want in your life.
I'd love to hear your experience with this exercise. Comment down below if you've used this and what you experienced!
