A powerful way to approach anything, any moment, any conversation, any difficult task … is to bring curiosity.

It’s a mindset of wanting to know more, wanting to explore, wanting to find out. It’s a mindset of wonder, a childlike way of seeing the world, beginner’s mind.

It’s like taking a look at something you’ve seen for years — the back of your hand, your couch — and seeing it as if for the first time, and wondering about it.

It changes everything …

When you think something will be too hard — this is an example of when you’ve already decided something and shut down your curiosity. Instead, bring curiosity: what would doing this be like?

When you think you can’t do something — instead bring the curiosity of wanting to find out if you can. Or what you can learn even if you don’t accomplish it.

When someone is frustrating you, you can bring curiosity about what they’re like, why they’re behaving that way, what you might have in common.

When you think something is true, you can bring curiosity instead, and see if you can find out something new.

It changes everything. Curiosity is about opening our minds, and experiencing something with wonder and awe and exploration.