A life that’s large is not about being important or having lots of stuff. It’s about living expansively and actively experiencing the world in new ways. It’s about continuously exploring what is possible and what is true. It is the unspoken commitment to something larger than one’s self. It’s revealed in the elegance of a good question. It’s the active practice of curiosity.

For as long as I can remember, the thought of living a scripted life has terrified me. I’ve always wanted to experience and explore the world as much as possible. Curiosity has become my foundation for doing so. It’s inspired me to move forward when I’ve been stuck or lost. It’s shown me that the unknown can be both beautiful and exciting. It’s made possibility more interesting than fear.

Curiosity is an expansive way of living. It’s a fundamentally different orientation towards the world. Here are just a few of the ways that curiosity can help you live a life that’s large:

Do little acts of discovery

Little acts of discovery are all about taking small actions and creating space in your life to do things slightly differently. This can be as simple as taking more walks or trying new restaurants. It can also look like intentionally taking small steps towards the things that are overwhelming or scary.

One of my favorite ways to do this is by making up little life experiments and then challenging myself to do them. For example, I’m not at all a morning person, but I’ve been testing that belief lately and trying to discover if I could be. This approach has helped me build new habits, like creating daily and it’s also helped me rebuild old habits like running.

Try breaking up your day with little acts of discovery. Ask what would happen if I got there a different way? Don’t worry about the outcome; just be curious and see what happens.

Collect models of possibility.

Curiosity has consistently evolved my understanding of what is and is not possible. It’s exposed me to many different approaches to life. Mostly this happens through learning about other people’s life stories. Sometimes I do it just by reading or listening to podcasts, like the Unmistakable Creative. Oftentimes I do it by getting to know lots of different types of people.

When I meet people, I love asking them about how they got to where they are, what they’re excited about, what they’ve fallen in love with and what they dream of. I find that gaining exposure to different models of success can be very liberating and empowering. It breaks you free from made up rules and assumptions.  It provides you with the creative fodder to define your own direction.

Actively get to know different people. Seek out those who are doing things in ways that you don’t understand. Remember that everyone has a story and that most people are honored to share theirs.

Choose cultures of courage

Many environments make it easy for us to default to fear. Oftentimes this looks like not asking the hard questions or just focusing on your self. I find that this never really feels good and as much as possible, I try to choose cultures of courage. Sometimes this simply is a matter of being intentional about where you spend your time and who you choose to associate with. More often than not though, it’s a question of how you show up and in what ways your actions allow others to show up.

I try to do this by openly trying new things, even when I don’t know how they will turn out. This blog for example. Or the project I’m currently leading at work. I also try to do it by creating space in my day to learn, explore and grow. This can mean asking naïve questions. It can mean experimenting and making mistakes. It can mean not forcing an outcome. I’ve found that when others feel permission to do the same, it quickly builds trust. It sparks an interest in each others success and ultimately it fuels collective possibility.

Not only does choosing cultures of courage enable a life that’s large, but it also builds a world that’s large. Be curious about how you can show up for others in ways that are courageous.