Living a life that Matters - Curious?

by Matt Walker on June 2, 2009

Those of you that know me know that adventure is the central pillar to my worldview. You also know that for me adventure is not defined by the scariest or hardest climb in the world, most bad-ass mountain bike descent, or the biggest snowboard descent in the farthest reaches of the world. Adventure is in everything we do - it is commitment, high endeavor, uncertain outcome, and great companionship.

I was really happy last week (no pun intended) to find Todd Kashdan and his new book: Curious?: Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life. Todd is smart and grounded - and the message is great - I can stand behind it. Those of you that know me also know that I can be a bit of a cynic and skeptic at times (especially around self-help). Todd is right on target with this one.

Why? Because he focuses Curious? on what is essential to creating a fulfilling life:

  • Being curious.
  • Being open to new experiences.
  • Being able to effectively manage ambiguity and uncertainty.
  • Being able to adapt to the demands required of different situations.
  • Discovering our strengths, deepest values, and what we are passionate about.
  • Strengthening our connections to these values and passionate pursuits so that we pursue a life aligned with them.

By chance the other day I was driving home from the airport and turned on NPR. By chance (maybe?) there was Todd Kashdan talking with Neal Conan on ‘Talk of the Nation’ (recording of show here: Talk of the Nation with Todd Kashdan). The take-away was clear - reclaiming curiosity, using mindfulness appreciation, and opening yourself to the possiblity of change has profound impact on our lives.

Give it a go, check it out, this is not a fluff piece, but a work that can have a dramatic impact on your life.

{ 0 comments… add one now }

Leave a Comment

You can use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>