Curiosity – Your Key To Growing Through Adversity

Your intelligence alone will not determine how well you handle the problems of life. Those who soar with hope compared to those who sink into despair when problems come have another trait. The answer is found in the words of Einstein.

I am not more gifted than the average human being. If you know anything about history, you would know that is so – what hard times I had in studying and the fact that I do not have a memory like some other people do… I am just more curious than the average person and I will not give up on a problem until I have found the proper solution…Now, if you understand what I have just told you, you see that it is not a matter of being more gifted but a matter of being more curious and maybe more patient until you solve a problem (Albert Einstein).

What is the key quality to have that will help you solve problems and soar with hope in spite of adversity? 

• Curiosity

Three Ways to Practice Curiosity

1.    Read.  

When it comes to overcoming adversity, solving problems and fueling hope you need to learn from the wisdom and experience of others. I have learned so much from books during my time of suffering, repair and recovery.

With each book, I have brought questions and a childlike curiosity that has opened doors, expanded my thinking and shaped my living.

Here is a list of books I`ve read (or am reading) that have inspired my hope and satisfied my curiosity for learning, deeper understanding and personal growth.  For a list of full titles and authors check out my blog’s resource section.

• 90 Minutes in Heaven
• The Long Run
• You Gotta Keep Dancin`
• The Problem of Pain
• Being Well When We`re Ill
• A Place of Healing
• Unbroken
• Leading at the Edge
• You are a Writer
• Where is God When it Hurts
• Falling Upward
• Love Does
• Platform
• The Good Confession

2.    Question.

Questions are powerful tools to open the door to greater understanding and problem solving.  I’ve found the best questions aren’t the negative slanting “Why me?” but more powerful questions like “What’s next?”

Here are a few questions I’ve asked during my recovery journey that have kept me growing and helped solved the problems I’ve faced.

• How does iTunes really work?  (YouTube tutorials & Google search)
• How do you start a blog?  (read “Platform” and then started)
• How can we do small groups better at our church? (Read Activate then with a team figured out how to implement and launch)
• How will this bone transporter work? (Google & YouTube videos)
• What is my life purpose during this time of recovery? (got curious and figured it out)
• What can I do from my recliner that will help others? (got curious and found answers)

3.    Connect.

During the early days of recovery, I spent two weeks in a respite bed which happened to be on a dementia ward of a local nursing home. But even there, I was able to connect with Art, an 85 year old man with an inquisitive mind. He became my new friend and gave me hope and fueled my optimism in those early days of recovery.

Curious people have come to visit me at home resulting in stimulating conversations, quality interaction and hope stoking visits.

So like Einstein, it`s not how smart we are that will determine our ability to hope for the best and dance with the rest. It`s our ability to nurture curiosity that will help us to solve problems and live well!

How are you cultivating curiosity in your life?
Which of the three ways will you use this week to practice curiousity?

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