Hello!

Thank you to everyone who read Be Yourself and the Rest Will Follow over the years. I hope it helped you to accept yourself, to love yourself, and, of course, to be yourself … more! (And not just yourself, but your best self!)

Please note, I primarily maintain the blog as a writing sample now and for anyone who wants to read past posts in order to further their personal growth journey.

(As such, the form in the right sidebar that collects names + emails is no longer active…)

Thanks again for reading and, remember, be yourself and the rest will follow!

~ Rachel 

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A rabbi walks into a synagogue and says…

“Life is filled with peaks and valleys. Enjoy the peaks, because you know
there are going to be valleys.”

I bet you were thinking I was setting you up for a joke, but the truth is, what the rabbi said during that sermon I heard many years ago is quite serious.

Life isn’t good all of the time.

We do encounter bumps in the road, times when either something bad happens to us or when, for whatever reason, we’re just not feeling our best.

You probably agree that navigating the high’s is pretty easy.

But navigating the low’s?

A bit more challenging…

And I’m not here to tell you that I have the exact solution, especially when you’re hit with a monster adversity like cancer or something of that nature.

But here are just a few things I’ve learned from my own experiences on how to handle the inevitable valleys in life…

3 Must Do’s for When Life Gets too Turbulent…

Maybe you’ve hit a rough patch and you find yourself feeling out of sorts for a little while.

Try keeping these three things in mind…

1 | Give yourself permission to not be OK.

In a society in which we’re encouraged to believe that “attitude is everything” and even more so, that having a positive attitude can make or break our ability to get what we want in life, sometimes it’s important to remember…

It’s OK to not be OK.

Sometimes you need to give yourself permission to, well, feel like crap for a little while. To not have to “keep your chin up”, to not have to cheer up. 

When we “should” ourselves into feeling better (i.e., I should feel happier right now or I should be more grateful right now), it often adds more stress to the situation.

Sadness has just as much validity as the emotion, happiness, and it’s important to allow yourself to own your feelings, to recognize that it’s OK to feel how you feel.

Just remember, while you’re feeling this way, to show yourself as much kindness and understanding as you show to others.

2 | Don’t panic…

There’s no way around it. Feeling down is an uncomfortable feeling. It’s one we want to get rid of as quickly as possible.

And, if we can’t, we can naturally start to panic. We can start to not only feel pained over the thing we’re feeling down about, but we can also start thinking there’s something wrong with us for feeling down.

“Why can’t I snap out of it?”, one may start thinking.

For most of us (and for most situations), this feeling won’t last forever. Know and have faith that you will come out on the other side. (Remind yourself that you have before and you will now…)

(Important caveat: If you can’t snap out of it after an overly extended period of time, please don’t be afraid (or feel ashamed) to get professional help…)

3 | Remember, out of the valleys often comes you, only better.

While it’s possible to grow during the good times, I’ve always believed that we grow the most during the hard ones.

These valleys are often overflowing with lessons if you’re open to them. In fact, if you come out of the valley without the lesson, you’ll most likely face that adversity again and again until you learn it! 〈〈 Tweet this!

When we enter a valley, we can see it as a place of stagnation or as a trigger for reinvention.

If you’re willing to learn (which often requires the courage to look within), most often, you come out of the valley stronger, more empathetic and as you, only better.

:: ::

There was a great movie released by Pixar in 2015 called Inside Out that highlighted how each of our different emotions — Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness — has a purpose in our lives.

These valleys, in which our more negative emotions rear their heads, are not fun, but they also have a purpose.

And it’s up to you to find that purpose.

I know you’re up to the challenge.

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Know someone who’s feeling a little down and could benefit from this post? Please share it with them by using one of the share buttons at the top or bottom of this post, or by emailing them this URL: http://beyourselfandtherestwillfollow.com/feeling-down‎

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To navigating the valleys,

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The post Feeling Down? 3 Must Do’s When Life Gets too Turbulent… appeared first on Be Yourself and the Rest Will Follow®.

I’ve got a question for you.

And it’s about something our society seems to focus on pretty heavily.

In fact, it’s about something one person, as of late, says we’re going to be doing so much of soon, we’re going to get tired of it.

In case you haven’t guessed what it is yet, it’s…

Winning.

We think about winning from a young age, right?

Winning at board games (which I never did against my brother in Monopoly).

Winning at sports.

Winning at school (by making great grades or, at that young age, by making it into the popular crowd).

Winning at work (by getting the job or getting the promotion).

You name it, in so many areas and during so many life stages, we aim to win. And there’s nothing wrong with that. The reality is, winning is an important part of life and how the world works (as is losing).

But, when you think about it, many of the ways in which we aim to win are based on external definitions of success – and, as we know, these externals can be fleeting and/or can fluctuate.

Which means our sense of self worth can be fleeting and/or can fluctuate as well if we haven’t won at some of these external benchmarks or societal markers that we feel like we should have. 

Maybe It’s Time to Redefine (or Broaden) How We Define Winning…

Winning feels better than losing, no doubt about it, and, let’s face it, you can feel like, well, a loser if you aren’t doing it enough (at least in the traditional sense).

So, here’s the question…

What if we thought about winning in a different way, a way that focuses more on who we are rather than on what we’ve done?

How about redefining winning like this?

1.  Winning is overcoming adversity.

2.  Winning is knowing you tried your best even though things didn’t go your way.

Tweet this –> Maybe victory doesn’t always lie in getting what we want, but in the trying for it. 

3.  Winning is giving (and helping others).

4.  Winning is owning your mistakes and learning from them.

5.  Winning is not blaming others, but looking within and asking yourself, “What can I do better the next time?”

6.  Winning is loving yourself (and I mean everything about yourself).

7.  Winning is listening more than you talk. (Psst…you learn more when you listen!)

8.  Winning is challenging yourself to grow – and then doing it!

9.  Winning is acting happy even when you don’t feel it. (At least when you go out your front door…)

10.  Winning is, to put it simply, being a good person.

Tweet this –> Cultivate your internal appearance as much as your external one – a beautiful face means nothing without a beautiful heart.

It’s easy to feel discouraged when you don’t win in the traditional sense of the word, but, hopefully, the next time you don’t, you’ll think of one of these 10 definitions and feel victorious after all.

How do YOU define winning?

Share with me in the comments below…you never know, someone may read and benefit from your definition just when they need it the most!

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Know someone who needs to broaden their definition of winning? Please share this post with them by using one of the share buttons at the top or bottom of this post, or by emailing them this URL: http://beyourselfandtherestwillfollow.com/redefining-winning‎

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To redefining winning,

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The post Redefining Winning: 10 Different Ways to Define Winning for When You Don’t Feel Like a Winner appeared first on Be Yourself and the Rest Will Follow®.

Did you ever watch the television show, The Facts of Life?

I used to love that show growing up and, boy, did I get a dose of nostalgia when I happened to catch a re-run of it on TV Land recently.

In case you don’t remember or recognize the show, it revolved around the trials and tribulations of four adolescent girls (Blair, Jo, Natalie and Tootie) who attended a prestigious boarding school and were under the care of housemother, Ms. Garrett.

On the episode I caught, it was Ms. Garrett’s birthday, and wanting to give her as grandiose a birthday gift as the affluent Blair got her, Jo, Natalie and Tootie decided to shoplift after discovering the blouse they wanted cost more than they could afford.

Well, long story short, Ms. Garrett soon discovered the blouse was stolen when trying to exchange it for a smaller size and … enter teachable moment here … sat the girls down to remind them that stealing is wrong. 

… to which the girls responded that they knew stealing was wrong, but they wanted to get her a really special gift for her birthday.

… to which Ms. Garrett responded, “Girls, what brings people together isn’t the annual, big giving, but the day-to-day giving.”

When it comes to showing people you care, are you doing THIS enough?

Now, the point of this post isn’t to remind you that stealing is wrong. (I know none of you would do that!)

But it is to say that while the big “milestone” gestures, such as giving someone a birthday gift or calling someone to say “Happy Holidays”, are nice, the smaller, day-to-day gestures are often more meaningful.

Gestures like…

… calling someone just to say “Hello, how are you? I’m thinking of you.”

… inviting someone to do something with you (and your friends). (Being inclusive is a small gesture with a HUGE impact!)

… bringing someone a meal when they’re not feeling well.

… inviting someone (especially someone who looks like they don’t know anyone) to sit next to you at a dinner party.

The list could go on! (What would you add? Let me know in the comments below!)

Here’s the thing. The big gestures are the obvious ones. Most of us automatically think to think of someone on the special occasions. (They’re almost too easy!)

To really show people we care, we need to remember (and practice) this…

So, here’s a challenge from me to you. For each day this week, pick one person for whom you can perform one small gesture – and do it!

I promise you, your gesture may seem small, but to the other person, it’ll be HUGE!

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Know someone who could benefit from this post? Please share it with them by using one of the share buttons at the top or bottom of this post, or by emailing them this URL: http://beyourselfandtherestwillfollow.com/small-stuff ‎

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To small gestures,

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The post When Showing People You Care, Do More of THIS… appeared first on Be Yourself and the Rest Will Follow®.

If pictures are truly worth a thousand words, I hope this one is worth a million.

Because it would take at least a million ‘Thank you’s’ to let you know how much we appreciate your reading the Be Yourself blog…

And to thank you for being a member of the Be Yourself community.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with family and friends.

And that you always remember…

Be yourself and the rest will follow!

To you,

The post Happy Thanksgiving, Be Yourself Community! appeared first on Be Yourself and the Rest Will Follow®.

If you do, you probably remember that it used to be hosted by David Gregory.

You probably also remember that he got fired…(well, he says he didn’t get fired, but I have a feeling he kind of got fired…or was going to and decided to leave first.)

Whichever the case, according to an interview he gave recently on Book TV, he said this time in his life was incredibly difficult…

That his getting fired from/leaving NBC was his first-ever career setback – which, at age 45, is a bit late, in my humble opinion, to have his first-ever career setback.

I guess you could say he’s lucky, right?

Maybe.

But I would argue that maybe he isn’t so lucky. 

That maybe this career setback was more difficult for him to handle because he hadn’t had the opportunity yet to develop the kind of coping skills that only come from experiencing setbacks.

5 Terrible, Horrible, Negative, No Good Things You Should Go Through At Least Once In Your Life

Perhaps not surprisingly, these negative things, such as a career setback, aren’t fun, but they serve a very important purpose in our lives.

Not only do they give us important coping skills, but they often teach us how to be – and act – better.

Here are five other negative, not so great things I think you should go through at least once in your life…if you want to be your best self, that is.

1 | An Exclusion

You should feel excluded by others at least once in your life. It’s the only way you truly understand how it feels and begin to act more inclusive toward others.

And, remember, just because you’re not doing anything to exclude someone doesn’t mean you’re doing anything to include someone. {<< Tweet this!}

There’s a difference…(a big one).

2 | A Rejection

I wish each one of us could always get what we wanted in life. After all, most of us are probably really good people who deserve to get everything we what we want in life.

But, that’s not how life works. We do sometimes get rejected, even after trying our hardest.

A rejection can feel crushing, but it gives us stamina. After going through one or more of them, we learn we can survive rejection – which gives us the courage to risk and to try more.

Frank Bruni, in his New York Times column, How to Survive the College Admissions Madness, does a beautiful job demonstrating the power of rejection if we don’t let ourselves get defeated by it.

(Psst…I would encourage you to read it even though you’re probably not in college anymore – it has tremendous wisdom for people of all ages.)

3 | A Failure

Let’s be honest, failures suck. (Just ask David Gregory…)

But, still, I think everyone should fail at something at least once in their life. Failures too give us incredible stamina and resilience as well as solid coping skills like little else can.

And failures (and their close cousin, adversity) give us invaluable lessons. They force us to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. And they encourage us to make changes until we get it right.

Sometimes failures push us toward something far greater than the thing at which we failed!

4 | A Favor Snub

Have you ever asked someone for help and they either never got back to you or turned you down? This is what I call a favor snub, and I think everyone should experience at least one of them. 

It’s the only way you really know how disappointing it feels and begin to provide help when asked – despite how busy you are.

Remember, help others because, one day, you’re going to want others to help you! 

5 | Unmet Expectations

How about this? Have you ever expected something from someone else and he/she let you down? Or expected something of a situation that didn’t turn out how you would have liked?

If you’re human, you probably have at least once in your life – and probably more than once. And you’ve probably also felt disappointed. Again, more than once…

And this is a good thing. Yes, a good thing because, hopefully, you’re learning, after experiencing this time after time, that the best kind of expectations to have are no expectations – or, at least, lower ones.

As the Buddhist teaching goes, “Pain in life comes from unfulfilled desires and expectations.” 

When we can learn to abandon or lower our expectations, both our lives and our relationships improve. {<< Tweet this!}

:: ::

So, I didn’t write this post to wish bad things on you or to say that bad things are good – only to show that there can be merit and purpose to the bad things that happen to us. 

And that if we can learn to appreciate these negative, not so great things and the purpose they serve, we will be victorious over the inevitable challenges that life throws us.

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Know someone who needs a little help seeing the good in the bad and who could benefit from this post? Please share it with them by using one of the share buttons at the top or bottom of this post, or by emailing them this URL: http://beyourselfandtherestwillfollow.com/5-negative-things ‎

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To seeing the good,

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The post 5 Terrible, Horrible, Negative, No Good Things You Should Go Through In Your Life appeared first on Be Yourself and the Rest Will Follow®.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever struggled with body image issues.

If you’re a woman (or girl), chances are, you’re probably raising your hand right now.

No, wait.

You’re probably raising both hands.

Unless you’re part of the small percentage who actually love their bodies.

But if you’re like the rest of us, you’ve probably struggled with loving your body at one point or another.

How could you not with both traditional and social media continually telling and showing you how you should look?

Even with brands like Dove trying to get us to see ourselves differently or others trying to represent women of different sizes, we still get many messages about what the perfect figure looks like.

And many of us still spend a lot of time wishing we had that perfect figure.

We don’t like this about ourselves.

Or we don’t like that about ourselves.

But we do like that about someone else and we spend our time comparing ourselves to that someone else (who’s probably comparing herself to someone else…).

And concluding that we’re less than…

That we (and our bodies) are not perfect.

Would you have the courage to do this?

That’s the conclusion the woman, who made the following video, seemingly came to when she decided to do something about it.

When she decided to perform a very public – and potentially very embarrassing – experiment at a crowded marketplace in downtown Boise, Idaho on August 29, 2015.

Watch what happens when she takes her clothes off…and grab a Kleenex.

Tweet this 〉〉 In a society that profits from your self-doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act. ~ The Daily Share

Do you relate? Raise your hand again if you would draw a heart on her body.

It’s amazing, isn’t it? We spend so much time bashing our bodies that we forget how beautiful they are.

How precious they are…because we count on them to carry us through life for as long as possible.

And so, we should take the best care of them that we can…and, yes, I said ‘should’.

But we should also remember (and I quote/paraphrase my friend and Health and Wellness Coach, Michelle Bailen, here) to do this…

You know what? I have a feeling that if you saw that woman at that marketplace, you probably would have been one of the people drawing a heart on her.

After all, we sometimes have such an easier time showing love and acceptance to others than to ourselves.

But, maybe the body you need to draw a heart on is yours…

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Know someone struggling with self acceptance and who could benefit from this post? Please share it with them by using one of the share buttons at the top or bottom of this post, or by emailing them this URL: http://beyourselfandtherestwillfollow.com/how-to-love-your-body ‎

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To loving your body (and yourself) more,

Rachel

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Save

The post How to Love Your Body More JUST by Watching This Video… appeared first on Be Yourself and the Rest Will Follow®.

Are you a fan of the Minions? (Maybe you’ve seen them in their current movie or the Despicable Me movies?)

I didn’t use to be, but I am now.

Really, any time I see them, whether it’s in movie promos or somewhere else, they bring an instant smile to my face.

Because they remind me of this month’s Inspiration Tuesday, George Hillegass, who loved the minions.

I didn’t know this about Mr. Hillegass until I attended his funeral recently – sadly, he lost his battle, at 71, with pancreatic cancer.

His death, for me, calls to mind the title of Harold Kushner’s book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People.

Because Mr. Hillegass was as good as they come.

No, better.

And he’s got a lot to teach us about living…and about how to be our best selves.

Just Who Was George Hillegass? 

Capturing the magnificence of this one-of-a-kind man, Mr. Hillegass, is a bit challenging, if I can admit. But here’s my best attempt…

Mr. Hillegass lost his father at around age 12 and went to work at that young age to help support his mother and siblings.

But he was so much more than that.

Mr. Hillegass co-founded and helped build an incredibly successful accounting firm.

But he was so much more than that.

Mr. Hillegass was a faithful and loving husband as well as a member of the Best Dads in the World Club (as is mine!).

But he was so much more than that.

Mr. Hillegass was a man of great faith and let the principles of his faith guide every aspect of his life.

But he was so much more than that.

Mr. Hillegass spent his life giving to and helping others (often quietly) – helping them be all they could be.

But he was so much more than even that.

He was, to me, all of that plus the father of a childhood friend of mine who always welcomed me into his family’s home growing up.

Who made me laugh, smile…and, now, love the minions.

What George Hillegass Teaches Us About Living a Life Filled with Character and Connection…

You know, every once in a while, I come upon a person – Mr. Hillegass – who epitomizes the type of person I’m trying to inspire everyone to be like through my blog.

I hope Mr. Hillegass inspires you as he continues to inspire me.

In ways like this…

: | Make sure you’re climbing the right ladder to success.

I’m currently reading (and highly recommend) David Brook’s new book, The Road to Character.

In it, Brooks talks about how so many of us focus on the résumé virtues (i.e., achieving wealth, fame and status) and not enough on the eulogy virtues (i.e., kindness, character, honesty, the kind of relationships we’ve formed, etc.). 

Mr. Hillegass is one of the few people I know who mastered both the résumé and the eulogy sides of the equation.

Yes, he enjoyed great career success. But he also cultivated, just as fervently, his character, his relationships, his faith and so much more on the eulogy side.

On the road to success, he didn’t just climb one ladder (career) or the other (life).

He climbed both.

And that’s true success.

Tweet this 〉〉 Climbing the ladder to success is about more than building a successful career – it’s about building a successful life.

: | Building relationships often requires more than convenience.

At Mr. Hillegass’ funeral, his son, Tim, spoke eloquently about how his dad kept a running list of birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions for those he knew.

And how, each day, Mr. Hillegass would review the list and call people and wish them a happy birthday, happy anniversary, etc. – not email, but call.

To paraphrase Tim, Mr. Hillegass said that technology was great, but nothing could replace the good old fashioned telephone or face-to-face conversation in growing relationships.

Follow Mr. Hillegass’ lead. Want stronger relationships? Ditch the technology every once in a while and pick up the phone. Or grab lunch, dinner or a quick coffee with someone.

Forsake what’s convenient and fast (i.e., email) and go for what’s effective and creates connections that can last a lifetime.

: | Always bring out the best in others by being your best self.

Kid President, who I’ve written about before, has a great expression – “Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.”

That’s who Mr. Hillegass was.

He made everybody feel like a somebody.

While I hadn’t seen Mr. Hillegass in a number of years, I always remembered his positive, can-do spirit – to put it simply, you just felt good being around him.

He was a natural born coach who made a difference in so many people’s lives. 

And each of us can be this for others as well.

Tweet this 〉〉 We are our best selves when we help others be their best selves.

:: ::

What a remarkable man Mr. Hillegass was. To me and others, he operated in rarefied air.

As my mom said when leaving the funeral, “Mr. Hillegass was one of a kind. They broke the pattern when they made him.”

Mr. Hillegass has indeed left us all big shoes to fill.

I hope we all continue to try, however…because even if we come up short, we can’t help but become better people with him as our inspiration.

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Know someone who could benefit from this post? Please share it with them by using one of the share buttons at the top or bottom of this post, or by emailing them this URL: http://beyourselfandtherestwillfollow.com/lessons-about-life-and-character/ ‎

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To living life like Mr. Hillegass did,

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The post Inspiration Tuesday: What a Dying Man Teaches Us About Living a Life Filled with Character and Connection appeared first on Be Yourself and the Rest Will Follow®.

Sometimes, when life is busy, we could all use a little ‘wisdom on the go’, and have I got some visually-appealing mind candy for you this week!

Trust me, this kind of candy contains zero calories and provides loads of nourishment.

It’s the kind that skips right past your hips and goes straight to your soul!

6 Simple Tips to Make Your Life (and YOU!) Sensational…

1) So often, we want to be perfect, thinking perfection is more interesting, more likeable. Guess what? It’s not!

Being yourself is infinitely more exciting…and relatable.

So, mess up (but learn!), show others your flaws (but grow!), and just be yourself…

And the rest will follow!

(Tweet this –> Perfection is shallow, unreal, and fatally uninteresting. ~ Anne Lamott)

2) Speaking of being yourself, whenever you feel like blending in or hiding who you are from the world, I hope, instead, you’ll remember this…

(Tweet this –> Be weird. Be random. Be who you are. Because you never know who would love the person you hide.)

3) Did you ever see the movie, We Bought a Zoo? To be honest, I thought the movie was so-so, but I thought this line spoken by Matt Damon’s character was BRILLIANT! 

I love how this line makes courage more manageable. Thinking we may need to maintain our courage for an entire hour or an entire day? A little overwhelming.

For just 20 seconds? Hey, that’s doable!

(Tweet this –> Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage and I promise something great will come of it. ~ We Bought a Zoo)

4) And if you need a little help mustering up that courage? Remember and repeat this to yourself often. Simple, yet powerful, right?

(Tweet this –> I can and I will. Watch me.)

5) Unless you’re part of the one percent (as defined here), chances are, you’ve been tested a time or two in your life. And maybe this has caused you to get a bit down and discouraged.

If it has, try looking at these life tests in a different light, like this…

(Psst…I promise doing so makes for a more joyful life!)

(Tweet this –> Maybe life isn’t about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it’s about collecting the scars to prove we showed up.)

6) I think #6 is one of the hardest things for people to master in life – as it’s so easy (and sometimes automatic) to let our emotions dictate our actions. But we must all strive to do the opposite.

Remember, when you walk out your front door each morning, you have a choice over how to act.

And it is a choice.

Whether you’re feeling angry, sad, or just plain grumpy because your coffee hasn’t kicked in yet, make the decision to put a smile on your face.

Because if you act happy (even when you don’t feel it), you’ll inspire everyone around you to be happy as well.

And happy people make the world better.

(Tweet this –> You are always responsible for how you act, no matter how you feel. ~ Robert Tew)

—

So, enjoy this little something sweet and enjoy your week!

And, remember, with this kind of candy, it’s OK to go back for seconds!

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Know someone who could use a little mind candy? Please share this post with them by using one of the share buttons at the top or bottom of this post, or by emailing them this URL: http://beyourselfandtherestwillfollow.com/6-tips-for-a-sensational-life/ ‎

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To the kind of candy you can eat without gaining a pound (or heaven),

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The post 6 Simple Tips to Make Your Life (and YOU!) Sensational… appeared first on Be Yourself and the Rest Will Follow®.

Call it the writer/journalist in me, but I’ve always been naturally inquisitive.

Really, whether it’s with someone I already know or someone I’m just meeting, I almost immediately go into interviewing mode.

Not because I’m trying to interrogate someone.

But because I love to learn people’s stories.

I’m curious.

And I’m not the only one.

I’m currently reading movie producer Brian Grazer’s new book, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life.

In it, Grazer talks about how, more than intelligence or persistence or connections, curiosity has allowed him to live what he describes as a “big life”.

And Grazer has lived a “big life”. He’s produced movies like Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind and Splash as well as popular TV shows like Empire.

And aside from partnering with Ron Howard to run Imagine Entertainment, he’s talked to all kinds of luminaries and celebrities whose gate keepers would keep most of us out.

All because he’s curious.

Are YOU inquisitive enough? Here’s why it pays to be curious…

The good news is, you don’t have to be a big movie producer to be curious!

Anyone can do it.

And here’s why you should want to…

[Warning: As we proceed, no selfies allowed.]

1 | Curiosity widens your world…in a good way.

One of the things Grazer says in his book that I completely agree with, is that we can all get trapped in our own way of thinking, that we get so used to seeing the world our way, that we think, as Grazer says, “the world is the way we see it.”

(Guess what? It usually isn’t…)

For the last 20+ years, Grazer has had what he calls “curiosity conversations” with people from all walks of life to “disrupt his own point of view.”

Isn’t that amazing?

Proactively talking to different types of people to force himself to consider a viewpoint different from his own?

Trust me, this guy’s busy. But not too busy to be curious…

And, at the end of the day, neither are you and me.

It pays to be curious because there’s a lot more to life than the life we’ve created just for ourselves.

Tweet this 〉〉 Widen your world. Be curious!

2 | Curiosity drives human connection.

Grazer cites the most valuable – and surprisingly overlooked – use of curiosity is creating human connection.

Grazer perhaps states the obvious when he says that, to be a good friend, a good spouse, a good boss, or a good ‘something’, you should be curious about others.

For it’s the curiosity we show about others that makes others feel they matter, that makes others feel special – and that usually inspires others to be curious about us in return.

Curiosity becomes reciprocal. And human connection becomes stronger.

(Most of the time, anyway…I’m sure we all know people who only talk about themselves!)

It pays to be curious because curiosity is what drives real and sustainable relationships.

3 | Curiosity overcomes a lack of commonalities.

So often, we let a (perceived) lack of commonalities with someone interfere with our ability to communicate and connect with that person.

We fear we’ll have nothing to talk about…

Ultimately, many of us fear silence.

Here’s where curiosity comes to the rescue.

Curiosity helps you get excited by differences rather than scared of them. 

Curiosity tears down that “lack of commonalities” barrier and transforms you in to an enthusiastic student eager to learn about interests and passions different from your own.

It pays to be curious because curiosity creates and opens up new classrooms that enrich and expand your life more than you know.

Tweet this 〉〉 Discover what excites someone else – and be curious about that!

:: ::

So, hopefully, by now, you’re convinced…curiosity matters.

For more reasons than I’ve highlighted here…

But it’s a start that hopefully inspires you to be, well, curious about being curious!

As Brian Grazer says, “Life isn’t about finding the answers, it’s about asking the questions.” {Tweet this!}

What questions will you ask today?

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To curiosity,

Rachel

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