Spilled milk never made my child cry. When my son was 4 years old, he spilled his milk and proceeded to gently blow the milk across the table while he watched it form amazing patterns.

Children are naturally curious.

A good friend of mine is naturally curious. She seems to have maintained the curiosity of a young child in her adult life. Her deep interest in my thoughts, values and dreams communicate genuine care, and often, I walk away with new ideas and fresh perspective.

When we are curious, we can open doors for those we are encouraging, mentoring, and coaching. And, we can open doors for our friends, our husbands and our children.

Curiosity is expressed through questions.

The interesting thing about questions is that they automatically cause us to start looking.

When we hear a simple question like, “What time is it?” we immediately look at a clock to find the answer.

When we hear a curious question like, “What about that inspires you?” or “What would accomplishing that do for you?” we are thrown into a whole new realm of looking.

Many of us lose our natural curiosity as adults and we need to develop the skill all over again.

Here are a few ideas to help you develop your child-like curiosity:

When you are talking with someone…

• Put on a curious frame of mind.
• Try using the phrase, “I am curious…” before asking a question.
• Do not allow yourself to think of solutions for them
• Ask about the words they use and the energy in their voice.
• Remember, you are exploring their world with them.

Let the doors swing wide open and the discovery begin!