How Do You Know That You’re Living the Life You’re Meant to Live?

It took me a while to realize the magnificent power in curiosity. When we were children, we didn’t question curiosity. It would appear and we would dutifully follow it. But, as we get older, many of us allow our curiosity to slowly dwindle and lay dormant inside of us. 

A few months ago, a new acquaintance asked me, “How do you know that you’re living the life you’re supposed to live?” This is of course a complex question that I wouldn’t dare claim to possess the right answer to. There isn’t a definite answer because it’s completely subjective. So in that moment, all I could offer was advice that was passed down to me and that has resonated and worked so far on my journey to creating a life authentic to me. Simply put: I was advised to take my curiosities seriously and to see where they took me. When you do this, you can trust that the inner wisdom inherent in all of us is guiding us to where we’re meant to go. 

Once you actually sit down and think about curiosity, it’s a rather spectacular thing. What sparks curiosity in you will not (and I say this with confidence) spark the same curiosity in someone standing next to you. For example, bird watching is a serious interest for a lot of people. I think birds are cute, but have yet to have any significant curiosity for them to the point where I want to dedicate my life to watching and studying them. Or take this broader example: if everyone had the same curiosities that led them to pursue the same things, we wouldn’t have a multitude of  professions today. You may have no desire to enter the field of education, but Suzie around the block has been dreaming of being a teacher for years and has always been drawn to learning and sharing knowledge with others. On the other hand, you may have had inclinations toward performing arts — always tingling with excitement when it comes to being on stage or being in front of a camera — whereas Suzie has had no such inclinations. This is the hidden gem of curiosity. They’re hints toward steps you will benefit from taking or steps toward an uncovering an aspect of who you are. 

We all have implanted in us a unique code, different gifts and the expressions of these gifts. It’s a matter of recognizing this and making the choice to explore that code. Step by step, you learn this code by continuously being conscious of what draws your curiosity. It may have been some time since you’ve taken notice of and actually explored your curiosities, so it’s difficult to know where to start. The first step is being open and to notice — no matter how small — what sparks your interest (Is it a particular movie genre? Is it a hobby you’ve been thinking of trying? Is it a culture you’ve had questions about? Is it a cuisine you’ve been wanting to try?). Whatever it is, take note of it and take steps toward exploring it. The cool thing about this whole curiosity thing is that you literally can do no wrong. It’s supposed to be carefree, new, and exciting. Don’t overthink it. The next step? Trust the hints and see where they take you. You’d be surprised how much you’ll discover about yourself and the world around you when you make it a priority to be curious.

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