In my dark years, I noticed an interesting thing about depression.
It seems that our curiosity and depression are like light and shadow.
Inside us, both exist.
They exist, but not at the same time.
The deeper you move down the spiral of depression, the more your curiosity disappears.
I believe that it might be, that people who kill themself finally lost all their curiosity.
They lost all interest in the world. Their future. Life.
They are not curious anymore.
People who are highly curious are on a journey of exploration.
They are hunters and gatherers of impressions.
Explorers of life and existence.
It is a journey of life itself. Of growth and discovery.
…and empathy.
For my mentee and his daily meditation and journaling endeavors, I invented therefore what I coined:
“Curiosity Cruising”
It is rather simple to understand.
- Give yourself a certain time. Set a timer or start a playlist.
[It’s about creating a safe space to focus.]
2. Start to explore your curiosity through mindful questioning.
Here are questions I developed so far. Use this for a start, but you can, of course, explore your own questions. It should be questions that fulfill most importantly one criterion:
Is this something through which I could discover something that brings me joy, while it could possibly increase my social intelligence and empathy?
- “Life curiosity”
What are the three things in life you would really like to know?
- Why do you want to know them?
- Who could possibly answer them?
- What would possibly change if you knew the answers?
2. “Social curiosity”
What could I be curious about regarding a profession (or hobby)?
The “simpler” the profession at first glance, the harder this one tends to be. You might wonder why I don’t say “about another person”. Asking this about a profession or hobby adds purpose to the question. Also, you’ll learn more about each profession and widen your horizon, which can lead to effects like increasing your skills.
Let’s say we use the profession of a “Hairdresser”.
- What is a hairdresser really proud of?
- What is the most important factor of quality for a hairdresser?
- What does a hairdresser love the most about his work?
- How important are other people for a hairdresser?
- What does a hairdresser absolutely rely on?
- What makes the job of a hairdresser more comfortable?
- What makes a hairdresser more effective?
Let your mind wander as much as you want. Note down as much as you want.
Please try always to end your session with:
3. “Joy curiosity”
This is probably the most important part to find your own path out of misery.
If we keep training to find opportunities for joy and fulfillment, we’ll get better at doing so.
The better we get, the more joy, happiness, fulfillment, and joy we will find in our lives and journey. This can become our upwards spiral ,-)
- What is the one thing that brings you the most joy?
- What do you think could bring you the most joy in the world?
[Take around 60 seconds and ask yourself what is most likely to hinder you from achieving that. Science has shown that this little practice immensely boosts the chance of success. I think that is due to the power of our subconscious process.]
3. What are three things that spark positive feelings in your life?
I deeply hope this can help you, or a person you care for.
If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment or contact me.
May we all live in a bright future.
Desired by our hearts, crafted by our minds.
