Embrace Your Curiosity

Do you ever have realizations that you hardly know anything?

I'm asking because as I grow in maturity, knowledge and wisdom, I'm realizing more and more how much that applies to me. I have so much to learn!

And importantly, this realization is both humbling and makes me enthusiastic to keep learning on a daily basis. While I've always been a learner and a curious person, as I grow in awareness about myself and life, I can see how much there is to learn.

Learning never ends.

One of the topics in which I'm an on-going learner is communication. Years ago as a sophomore at Wellesley College, I was deciding on my major. My father advised me to choose English.  His advice was straight-forward: learn to speak one language perfectly.  This was relevant because I grew up in six countries speaking four languages.

But afer graduating from college and in the early years of my career I didn't give much thought to communication. This is probably because my communication was "good enough" that it allowed me to be "effective enough."

However, as I rose in the executive ranks, I realized how essential communication is.

I became more curious and committed to being a more effective communicator. When I was a Vice-President in the investment business, an Executive Coach I hired recommended Crucial Conversations Tools, a book by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzer.

I learned about being persuasive and productive in my conversations.

Then I discovered Nonviolent Communication - A Language of Life, by Marshall B. Rosenberg PhD. I attended some workshops with skilled facilitators to learn this powerful approach in more depth. The investment in learning transformed my communication style.  It had a positive impact on my relationships. It helped me seek harmony with my counter part regardless how difficult or high the stakes were.

I learned to be more empathic and compassionate in my communication.

Then five years ago, a professional colleague recommended the book, Never Split the Difference - Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss. This book blew my mind and made me realize - even though I had been conscious of learning to be more effective in my communication for over ten years - there were counter-intuitive communication skills  of which I hadn't been aware.

 After so many years of learning about communication, there is so much more to learn!

Every time it seems like I might get close to the finish line, the finish line gets moved.

And that's wonderful, because I love to keep learning.

There is so much to learn.

It never ends!