Day 355 – 10 days to go

Ten days to go on my blog, and I can’t think of a single thing to write so I will simply wish all a good start to the week.

Day 354 – Numerous opportunities today to be curious

The weekend. I could have been curious as I went shopping and had to figure out where to find certain things on my list. I could have been curious as I tried to replace the washer in my bathroom faucet. I could have been curious as I prepared a new recipe with an ingredient, quinoa, I have only used once before. I could have been, and I might have enjoyed the day more. Sadly, I wasn’t and didn’t. I was too intent in each case on achieving a certain goal in as short a time as  possible. Ah, well.

Day 350 – A quick revisit of my hypothesis

Today (rather belatedly) it occurred to me that my hypothesis is phrased almost as if I see curiosity as the only path to the outcomes I list (see below for list). This afternoon on our dogwalk I noticed that I was charging down the path through the woods simply enjoying the somewhat more strenuous movement. There was no curiosity involved. I was not paying any special attention. I was not particularly open. Nonetheless, it was reducing my stress. That is in any case one example of how there are other ways to achieve at least some of the outcomes I want.

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• Reduce the stress in my life
• Set me up to be more responsive and therefore more effective
• Help me build better connections to other people
• Be the path to growth AND the way to enjoy the journey
• Be an antidote to self-righteousness and knowing it all
• Help me know more and understand more (added 31 October 2016)
• Contribute to my enjoyment of life (added 31 October 2016)
• Generally enrich my life (added 13 February 2017)

Day 348 – You can’t always see the circles

A few days ago (on Day 346), I posted a link to the Coffer Illusion. On that occasion, I was able to see the circles by looking for them. This evening, I was treated to an evening out listening to a kind of music I almost never listen to, a kind of folk rock. The headliner plays all over the United States so when I couldn’t get into his music I told myself to look for the circles, to accept they were there and to find them. I really tried, but I couldn’t see them. I couldn’t figure out why this artist has such a good reputation. It seems you can’t always make yourself see the circles amidst the rectangles.

Day 345 – On vacation

It’s funny. I’ve written fairly often about how work pressure and to-do lists make it harder for me to be curious. Now I’m on vacation and I find I’m almost too relaxed to be curious. I am re-reading one of my favorite books, ate something for dinner I know I like, swam at a place I’ve swum countless times. It’s all great, but none of it is new, and I find I’m not even moved to practice curiosity by comparison. Perhaps tomorrow …

Day 344 – Stressing out (so no curiosity)

Why am I stressing out on vacation? Because I am experiencing a number of technical uncertainties at the moment (too long to go into). My great fear (a big curiosity killer) is damaging my computer irreparably and losing all my data. At the same time, everything seems to be working so slowly while we finally have perfect summer weather and I want to be outdoors (so performance and time pressure, also curiosity killers). Why am I even on my computer on my vacation? Because a client sent something back for revisions the day I was leaving. We agreed on an August 14 deadline, but I decided to get it done now so that I can stop thinking about it. Ick! Still, I have now sent it off and shall hope for better conditions and more curiosity tomorrow.

Day 327 – Tomorrow

Well, I didn’t practice much curiosity today (Sunday), but I should have some big opportunites to practice tomorrow. I’m teaching a one-week workshop with two participants. (Don’t ask.) Curiosity may be one of my best tools, I’m thinking. Will keep you posted.

Day 320 – Just checking in

Tomorrow, Monday, I’ll be starting two weeks of even more intensive work, a last burst before my vacation. I’ve been working all day today, Sunday, and so am excusing myself from a long and profound 😉 post.

Wishing all a good start to the week!

Day 284 – Shouldn’t go there either

A week or so ago, I wrote about getting sucked into controversial discussions on Facebook, especially when what one posts challenges the general stance of the thread. Curiosity in this context almost invariably faces a very quick and sometimes violent death. Yesterday I was spending a wonderful afternoon catching up with friends I hadn’t seen in ages. Everything was peaceful and, yes, curious until someone just had to start talking about politics. Even in that group, where we are all on more or less the same side of the aisle, so to speak, we managed to get into a couple of wrangles about how the current political situation not only in the U.S.A. came about and how to fix it.

If you remember, “wrangle” is a word I use in connection with Inquiry. I’d like to build my Inquiry skills so that when it looks as if we’re getting into a wrangle the conversation can become informative and broaden everyone’s perspective rather than just further entrench everyone in their views. That didn’t happen yesterday.

Day 269 – Could be more curious

A friend of mine is coming to dinner (it’s to celebrate her birthday,  which was in April), and I am cooking a couple of dishes I have never cooked before. I know I’m not supposed to do this, but when else would I try out new recipes?

The only thing is that I do find it hard to approach cooking the with curiosity under these circumstances. After all, I want them to turn out well as it is her birthday celebration. I am wedded to a particular outcome.

Ah, well. Better job next time.