Read time: 4 min 50 sec
Key Encouragements (aka what your brain’s about to snack on):
-
✅ Curiosity is one of the strongest predictors of a meaningful, joyful, and connected life.
-
🧠 Your brain loves being curious—it learns faster, remembers more, and lights up with joy.
-
🌿 Awe lowers stress, opens your heart, and reminds you you’re part of something vast.
Start Here: You Were Born to Be Curious
As kids, we all start out with this wild, untamed curiosity.
We ask too many questions. We touch everything.
We feel wonder in the ordinary.
But somewhere along the way—through pressure, pace, performance—
that curiosity gets dimmed.
Not gone… just quieter.
And I think we all can relate to that.
There’s this beautiful research emerging—about how curiosity isn’t just a personality trait.
It’s a tool.
It makes us more generous.
More innovative.
More resilient.
It brings us closer to joy.
And maybe most importantly—it makes us feel like we’re actually here.
Alive.
Engaged.
Meaningful.
Research on Curiosity
📈 It boosts well-being. People who cultivate curiosity experience more joy and less anxiety. It’s one of the top strengths linked to life satisfaction across relationships, work, and health.
🫂 It deepens your relationships. Empathic curiosity—the kind that wants to truly understand someone else—leads to better conversations, stronger connections, and even resilience in the face of rejection.
🔍 It sharpens your mind. Curious brains learn more, remember better, and light up the same reward circuits as chocolate. And when you layer in awe? You think more critically and creatively.
🧠 It keeps your brain young. Studies show that curious adults live longer, think more flexibly, and even experience healthier nervous system function into older age.
💼 It fuels purpose at work. Curious employees adapt faster, help others more, and feel more fulfilled. Curious workplaces retain talent and grow stronger together.
So no, curiosity isn’t just a personality trait. A path toward being more alive.
Find Your Curiosity Personality
According to psychologist Todd Kashdan, curiosity isn’t one-size-fits-all. You might be:
✨ The Fascinated – You follow your joy and wonder wherever it leads.
🧩 The Problem Solver – You love figuring out puzzles and filling knowledge gaps.
🫣 The Avoider – You prefer comfort over uncertainty (but hey, you’re here—brave move).
💞 The Empathizer – You’re deeply curious about others’ feelings and inner worlds.
Which one resonates with you today? You don’t have to choose just one—but noticing where you lean gives you insight. And insight gives you direction.
What About Awe
Ah yes—awe.
The moment your breath catches.
When you look at the sky and remember how small and sacred life is.
🌀 Research shows that awe lowers stress, increases meaning, and makes us more generous. It can reduce inflammation and release oxytocin—that warm “I love being alive” hormone.
And here’s the best part:
You don’t need to fly to Iceland to feel it.
You can find awe right where you are.
🌱 A single tree.
🎶 A piece of music that moves you.
💬 A story that reminds you of our shared humanity.
It Starts with One Moment
Even one curious or awe-inspired moment a day can shift your whole week. Try one of these micro-practices:
Reframe a task: Instead of “What do I have to get done?” ask:
“What don’t I understand yet about this?”
Take a 10-minute “awe walk”: Go outside. Put your phone away. Look up. Look closely. Let the world surprise you.
Ask someone a better question: Instead of “How was your weekend?” try
“What lit you up recently?”
Follow your own question: What’s one topic you’ve been low-key curious about? Spend 15 minutes today exploring it—no pressure, just joy.
Do something new, even if tiny: A new route. A different spice. A new voice to learn from. Novelty is a gateway to curiosity.
You Can Grow This. You Really Can.
Here’s the wonderful truth:
Even if you’ve felt stuck, numb, or uninspired lately—curiosity and awe are still available to you.
They are not reserved for the enlightened or the artists or the scientists. They’re for all of us.
💫 Research proves it: across 41 studies, curiosity-enhancing practices worked—regardless of age.
What worked best?
-
Mindfulness
-
Interactive learning
-
Adding mystery to routine things
-
Asking more (and better) questions
In other words: noticing, wondering, exploring. Bit by bit. Breath by breath.
Try This Reflective Journal Prompt
Choose one to journal on—or just ponder for a minute today:
-
Where in my life would I like to feel more meaning or joy?
-
What am I secretly curious about but haven’t followed yet?
-
When was the last time I felt awe? Can I re-create even a glimpse of that today?
Want Support Along the Way?
The Journey Nudge app is designed to make curiosity and awe easy—something you can integrate into your daily life with timely nudges, guided reflections, and bite-sized learning.
It’s a gentle companion, ready to remind you:
✨ You are not behind.
✨ You are not too late.
✨ You are made to wonder.
So go ahead—follow your spark.
What did you think of today’s edition?
- Fantastic ️🔥️🔥️🔥️🔥️🔥
- Eh, it was okay️ ️🔥 ️🔥 ️🔥
- Not helpful ️🔥
Comment below.