Curiosity

I am so shy, and it can sometimes be physically painful to meet new people or even talk to people I know well. It’s nearly impossible for me to go to a networking event or even a party with people I know. And it’s something I’ve struggled with my whole life. I hid behind my dad's legs when people would talk to us out in the street or at the grocery store as a kid. But like every human, I crave connection. I think this is the origin from which my love of hospitality has blossomed. It helps me create a reason to be outgoing to try on a personality that can talk so freely to anyone, not be shy, to be open and curious. And I’m so grateful that I found my place in service.  

Curiosity is how we reimagine our lives when we need change or to grow, it's how we reimagine our communities for equity for everyone. Curiosity is how we reimagine business from our small family-run cafes to large chains. It’s what Ben & Jerry’s, Seventh Generation, and Patagonia have been doing for decades. To say the status quo might not be the best option moving forward. 

It’s going to take a lot of innovation and curiosity to not only survive escalating climate change impacts but also how we will thrive despite it. Curiosity is how we will transform the capitalism we know that has extracted too much from our earth, our communities, and our bodies. 

I start each year with at least three big goals. In the aftermath of keeping a business open through a pandemic, a massive hurricane and feeling pretty burned out, I started 2022 with a goal to find the joy in the everyday. As it turned out, 2022 has been a year of intense personal growth, and it’s been pretty rough to always find the joy. So I think somewhere along the way, I sought to be curious instead of joyful. 

The idea of curiosity really got me thinking. Some of the questions that keep popping up for me are: 

How do you cultivate curiosity?

How do you bring people along with your curiosity?

What does curiosity do to our brain?

What does curiosity have to do with faith?

What is the difference between curiosity and innovation?

Is curiosity an innate characteristic? Is it something you can learn to have?

I’m at the beginning stages of my annual review process. This is the time I spend at the end of each year figuring out what worked, what didn’t work, and what new mistakes I can make next year. Also, tomorrow (10.18.22), the season finale of season 2 of Making Good Podcast drops. And now I’m sketching out season 3 and what other Bossy Like Me projects I might want to attempt. I guess this ended up being the perfect time to think about the concept of curiosity. 

I know that I want to try new ways to write and discuss small business strategy and how to make sure that the business we do helps to create the communities we want to be a part of. 

Season 3 of Making Good will go into the concept of curiosity. We will try to look at this incredibly important idea that can save relationships, inspire creativity, and make our brains more flexible. Along with it, there will be activities for listeners to do and explore with us from their own perspectives. At this moment, I don’t know what exactly that will look like, but I’m excited to figure it out.