Curious people knowingly invest in activities that cause them discomfort as a springboard to higher psychological peaks.” ~ Kashdan & Biswas-Diener (August 2013 issue of Psychology Today).
Following curiosity at the risk of discomfort, like Alice down Wonderland’s rabbit hole, generally leads to a greater sense of happiness. Less stagnancy & more discovery leads to a greater sense of wellbeing. Easy enough to understand.
The discomfort felt when our life begins to expand is a symptom of fear. We all feel it. Making peace & making friends with our fear is the greatest and most direct route to courage and freedom. Behind every outrageously courageous person lies a background of fear so powerful they were forced to face it with everything they had– to pet the grizzly bear, so to speak. Giving ourselves to the fear is how we access our inner Super Hero archetype which can then take over. Fear can be a great thing, when it allows us to narrowly avoid getting flattened by a stampeding herd of buffalo or something equally disastrous. But when we allow it to take charge of our life at the risk of our own expression, keeping us small and perpetually “safe” (according to our ego) it’s time for some dialogue.
Where is your fear keeping you small? If you knew with all of your being that the fear you felt was your greatest ally rather than your scariest adversary, how would your life shift? What are you afraid of?
Allowing yourself to wonder is a courageous first step.
Leave a Comment