Certainty vs. Curiosity

Surprisingly, the older I get, the less I know for sure. I thought it would be the opposite. As I grew in years, my certainty would also grow. That hasn’t been the case. The older I get, the more I realize how much I don’t know. How life works and moves in subtle, small ways and that what I see from my perspective is just a small slice of something much bigger. Which means, for me, curiosity is on the rise.

While there are some things that have a solidness in my life, like my values or what I’m willing to fight for in this lifetime. Even those have developed an undercurrent of curiosity, wondering how or why I chose those beliefs, why others didn’t and how I can best live my values every day.

So, perhaps, don’t be so certain. Don’t be so rigid and immobile in your perspective that you miss out on the beauty of curiosity. The beauty of questions of an idea rolling around in your brain, seeing how it feels and what it shows you. Perhaps be curious today about something you always held with certainty. Maybe it affirms your certainty and viewpoint, or maybe it reveals something more to you that gives you pause or the delight of a new discovery. Because the more I choose curiosity over certainty…it seems to make this life both more rich and beautiful. Don’t let your certainty be the enemy of your curiosity.