Be Curious: Ask “What If?”

Nothing I say is going to be new. We’ve heard it all before. It has been stated in different ways by different people. You’ve listened with both an open mind and a closed mind. The fact remains that the statements and intentions are correct and backed by science and human evolution. You don’t have to like it. You don’t even have to agree with any of it. That’s our free will at work. But if we are fighting against something, we should at least be curious as to why.

It's necessary to be curious. We are curious every day. Curiosity reigned when we were kids. What happens when I do this? What happens if I touch that? Although, I don’t think the mind particularly likes it when we are curious. After all, curiosity can get you - well, it can cause harm. And the brain/mind/ego is designed to protect you. But at all costs? And what about free will? You act on it whenever you become curious and wonder, “What if?”. So, what if you extend that curiosity to decision-making? How would you respond in certain situations? Especially when your emotions are running high, and you want to speak your mind but are afraid of hurting someone’s feelings, or you fear creating a situation that’s not in favor of what you ultimately want. 

If we can’t tell our brains what to do, are we capable of changing our minds? 

The answer is yes if you are open to it and willing to look at your thoughts, reactions, and behavior. 

Marcia Reynolds, author of Outsmart Your Brain: How to master your mind when emotions take the wheel, explains, “To do this, you need to understand what you need and what the people you are with need, too. You then want to notice your typical reactions when your needs are not met, or you fear they won’t be met. These are the crucial steps to take to outsmart your brain. “

Most people don’t have the necessary vocabulary to express their feelings when asked to share. They tend to fall back on commonly known but limited terminology. And rarely get to the crux of their emotions except, as Marcia explains, “...in extreme cases of excitement or pain.”

Many tools are available to help you become more emotionally aware, which makes it easier to shift your emotional state. Or you can skip the curiosity of self-growth and choose to remain in your current emotional state. That would be relevant and important to those who feel their present emotional expressions are valid and meaningful. If so, do you boo! But ask yourself, “Do I have a good reason or a convenient excuse for what I am about to say or do?” The choice is yours, and no one can tell you how to feel or when to feel it.

If, however, you opt to change your mindset when confronted with a negative cycle of reactive responses, you’ll feel more aligned with yourself, your body will respond differently - less tension and restriction - and you’ll be able to make clear, deliberate, soul-aligned decisions that are in the best interests for you and those important to you. 

When you live intentionally and can be deliberate in your responses to life, you will experience less fear, anxiety, and paralysis when faced with decision-making. And this is important because the average adult makes around 34,000 decisions daily! Why wouldn’t you want to make that process a little bit smoother and less stressful?