Hello! 👋 

Welcome to Issue 4 of the Chronic Evolution weekly newsletter.

Today I invite you to explore curiosity with me – why it’s important, how it’s helped me in my healing journey, and how we can use mindfulness as a tool to deepen our curiosity.

I hope you enjoy.

P.S. Today’s topic is inspired by a reader’s response to an earlier issue of Chronic Evolution. If you have a topic you’d like me to cover, just hit reply and let me know. I’ll do my best to work it in.

Be Curious, Not Judgmental: A Lesson in Mindfulness From Ted Lasso

We all love an underdog. Especially one with unshakeable kindness and determination.

And when he challenges a bully to a game of darts, Ted Lasso is all of the above. As Ted goes on to win, he explains that it would have come as much less of a shock had the bully been more open-minded about Ted’s background rather than relying on preconceived notions. (It turns out he was an expert at darts.) And so came the now-famous line:

“Be curious, not judgmental.”

This lesson has stuck with me, and it’s something I’ve returned to time and time again in my life. Let’s dig into why curiosity is so powerful, shall we?

Curiosity pumps the breaks on resentment

I recently went to an open house for a property way beyond my budget. I decided to walk in with my head held high and a big smile on my face, embodying the version of myself with enough money to put in an offer.

The wind was blowing as I walked up the oversized wraparound front porch, and the dark clouds were threatening heavy rain. But as my feet slid over the wide wooden floorboards of the first room, I felt an overwhelming sense of calm wash over me. This room smelled like home, and I was enamored.

This is when the first feelings of doubt crept in. I started to question what I was doing there, making myself fall in love with a house that was not in the cards.

From here on out, my journey could have gone one of two ways:

1. I could have let resentment creep in, looking at the stained glass windows, cozy nooks, and original tin roof with jealousy. Or,

2. I could enjoy my time in a space that felt right and take it all in from a place of wonderment.

It only took a 3-second check-in with myself to decide that number two was the way to go. I continued to explore the house, keeping an open and curious mindset. I fully embraced the feeling that I could have it if I wanted it.

And when I walked back out the door, it was with a light heart and another smile on my face, thankful for the experience. And wouldn’t you know it, the rain cleared up right in time for me to catch a few moments of bliss at the little beach down the road.

That’s the power of curiosity. It doesn’t mean I didn’t feel slightly disappointed that I couldn’t afford that house, but embracing it allowed me to have a wonderful, light, carefree day. I was able to analyze what aspects I truly loved about the house, so I can search for those conditions in the future.

How can choosing to approach a tough situation with curiosity help you overcome life’s hurdles? Food for thought.

Curiosity put me on the path to healing

Without curiosity, I would never have been able to heal my chronic pain.

When I was struggling with chronic pain, I felt like my doctors were only giving me a limited set of options for treatment – and none of them were working.

The overwhelming desire to expand my mind beyond what my doctors were saying ultimately led me to uncover new techniques and mindsets that put me on my path to health.

Curiosity was the catalyst that took me from feeling helpless and defeated to empowered by the newfound knowledge that my body was not attacking itself and that there were other ways to heal.

Without that openness to explore the “nontypical” path, I wouldn’t be sitting here today writing this to you pain-free. I probably wouldn’t even be here, period. Curiosity reinvigorated my zest for life by helping me to understand that dark times were only temporary.

Mindfulness can deepen curiosity

The core tenet of mindfulness – being fully present in any given moment by observing without judgment – is simple enough to understand but much harder to put into practice.

It’s that “passing judgment” bit that so often trips us up.

From a very young age, we’re conditioned to evaluate and label our experiences as good or bad, right or wrong. But life isn’t so black and grey, and this tendency to pass judgment can go so far as to distort our perception of reality.

By bringing curiosity into the equation, we open ourselves up to experience life without all the labels and judgment, unlocking new depths of understanding and appreciation for the world around us.

When in doubt, choose curiosity

Curiosity is a choice, and when you choose to approach life with a curious mindset, you see beauty in the world that you may have otherwise dismissed, even in the most mundane activities or unexpected places.

I challenge you to approach all that you do this week with wonder and awe – staying curious about the world around you.

Here’s to your chronic evolution.

See you next time,

Carly 

P.S. Know someone who would enjoy this newsletter? When you refer just two people, I’ll send you a complimentary copy of my e-book: How To Reduce Chronic Pain Naturally.

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