Practicing being curious is really about the intention and attitude we bring to any experience we are having. It is a lens through which we see. It is living a life where you ask questions. And look deeper than surface level.
When we practice being curious, we get space from our experience and gain needed perspective. Curiosity requires us to zoom out and see the bigger picture. And if we are zoomed out then we cannot get wrapped up and consumed with our thoughts and feelings.
I know for me…when I find myself pulled into and gripped by a challenging experience, if I can bring myself to step back and step into curiosity, I am able to have more clarity. There becomes more space for me to see what it is I am feeling and what I am thinking. From there I can see the story or the resistance that has me gripped. I then have access to a change in my perception of the challenging experience! I can access guidance on how I am meant to approach the situation (and maybe what I need in the situation).
We can so easily default to blaming and beating up on ourselves. Curiosity stops that in its tracks because when we access curiosity there is nothing to blame or beat up about. Instead with curiosity there is a spacious noticing. When we are truly in a curious place there is not judgement about what we are experiencing. We are just thinking a thought, feeling a feeling, having a reaction, or telling ourselves an old story.
You know…being human.
A mindfulness tool I personally have been using for years and has helped many of my clients lean into curiosity, is LLAMP. I first learned about LLAMP from the book The Worry Trap by Chad Lejeune.
And it goes like this…
You first LABEL whatever it is you are experiencing. (Like “Headache” “Sad” “Thinking I didn’t do so well on that project.”)
Then you LET GO OF CONTROL! Let go of trying to NOT have that experience. (Control is actually how we get in our own way…a lot!)
With that, you ALLOW or ACCEPT the experience. You let it be there. I like to say to the feeling… “It’s ok that you are here right now.”
Next, you practice MINDFULNESS by just noticing more of your experience. This is a great time to check in with the body. How is this experience showing up in your body right now?
Lastly, you PROCEED WITH VALUED ACTION. This means you say to yourself: “Even though I’m feeling this thing that I just labeled and got curious with…what is REALLY important to me right now?” It is about taking an action that is aligned with your values.
Try this out for yourself. And see how practicing curiosity can support you.
And if you would like more support in learning to be more mindful and curious in your life, email me to setup a free clarity session.
