Follow- up article for “being curious”
From February 26, 2019
Christine Baumgartner, a widow and professional dating and relationship coach provides an ongoing blog addressing the needs of widowers and their families as they try to adjust to the challenges of entering new relationships. Visit her blog at ThePerfectCatch.com and and read her bio here.
In my previous article, we explored how being curious can be helpful in your dating life.
This article is for those of you who aren’t ready to start dating yet. I’d like to talk about the benefits of being “curious” with any new person you meet.
Most people are pleased when you ask them questions that show you’re interested in them. It’s a wonderful way to connect.
Here are some examples of using the “I’m curious” questions in everyday life:
- On a customer service call – “I love your accent. What part of the world are you from?”
- At the dry cleaners – “What a great location. Have you been here long?”
- At the card game meetup group – “Have you played Uno? Did you know there’s also a game called Dos? Do you belong to other gaming meetups?”
- With the cashier at the grocery store – “It’s not very crowded today. Is this usually a good time to shop?”
To implement this idea for yourself, start by thinking of the places you go every week and the people you see there. Then come up with questions you might like to ask them.
If this feels a bit unnatural, you can practice with family and close friends. Just like you’d practice a speech you’re going to make! (Remember, anything new can feel unnatural and uncomfortable in the beginning, and will feel so much easier after you’ve done it a while.)
And there’s an additional benefit of learning to be “curious” in your daily life. You’ll already be good at it if and when you start dating!
Now, just for fun, let’s see what a few famous people say about curiosity:
Meryl Streep: “I’m curious about other people. That’s the essence of my acting. I’m interested in what it would be like to be you.”
Einstein: “Curiosity is more important than knowledge.”
Walt Disney: “Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
Eleanor Roosevelt: “I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.”
Samuel Johnson: “Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.”
However, if you get stuck creating your “I’m curious” questions, just send me an email. I’ll be happy to help you come up with questions that will be comfortable for you.
And I’d love to hear the results you get from being curious. Consequently, I’ve had clients tell me things like:
“I learned about a fun volunteer opportunity”.
“I learned about a new job.”
“I found a great deal on a car.”
“I met someone fun to date.”
Looking forward to hearing from you.
