WEBVTT 00:00:02.059 --> 00:00:05.219 Hello. This week, we've talked about curiosity. 00:00:05.580 --> 00:00:08.359 We've seen it in mathematics. We've seen it in 00:00:08.359 --> 00:00:12.339 relationships, in creativity, and even in faith. 00:00:13.019 --> 00:00:15.339 But today, I want to end with something very 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:19.059 practical. See, about 10 years ago, I noticed 00:00:19.059 --> 00:00:22.379 a pattern in my life. If someone said something 00:00:22.379 --> 00:00:25.440 that did not resonate with me, I would often 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:28.780 close my mind to what they were saying. Sometimes 00:00:28.780 --> 00:00:32.310 it was an opinion. Sometimes it was an interest. 00:00:33.210 --> 00:00:35.929 Sometimes it was simply a way of seeing the world 00:00:35.929 --> 00:00:39.990 that did not fit my mold. And once I decided 00:00:39.990 --> 00:00:44.530 it did not fit, I stopped listening. Now, I do 00:00:44.530 --> 00:00:47.649 not think I realized it at the time, but I was 00:00:47.649 --> 00:00:51.009 letting my assumptions make the decisions for 00:00:51.009 --> 00:00:55.229 me. And once I became aware of this habit, I 00:00:55.229 --> 00:00:59.070 began trying a small new practice. When someone 00:00:59.070 --> 00:01:02.189 shares something that felt foreign to me, I try 00:01:02.189 --> 00:01:06.790 not to dismiss it so quickly. Instead, I try 00:01:06.790 --> 00:01:10.170 to become curious. What makes this interesting 00:01:10.170 --> 00:01:15.030 to them? Or why does this matter to them? What 00:01:15.030 --> 00:01:19.250 experience might be behind this? How can I become 00:01:19.250 --> 00:01:22.590 more interested in what they find interesting? 00:01:24.780 --> 00:01:27.760 This little practice has made a major difference 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:32.459 in my life. It has helped me listen better. It's 00:01:32.459 --> 00:01:35.819 helped me understand people more deeply and welcome 00:01:35.819 --> 00:01:39.659 differences and not dismiss them. It's helped 00:01:39.659 --> 00:01:41.859 me see beauty in places that I might have ignored. 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:46.739 And in a very real way, it has given me hope. 00:01:47.579 --> 00:01:51.180 Because curiosity reminds me that people are 00:01:51.180 --> 00:01:54.780 not finished stories. Relationships are not finished 00:01:54.780 --> 00:01:58.819 stories. I am not a finished story. There is 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:01.540 still more to learn. There's more to understand 00:02:01.540 --> 00:02:05.780 and discover. And that's why I believe curiosity 00:02:05.780 --> 00:02:09.639 is much more than a personality trait. It's a 00:02:09.639 --> 00:02:14.900 way to engage with life. In math, curiosity helps 00:02:14.900 --> 00:02:19.240 us find patterns. In relationships, curiosity 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:23.289 helps us move beyond assumptions. And in faith, 00:02:23.330 --> 00:02:25.930 curiosity helps us keep walking where mystery 00:02:25.930 --> 00:02:31.310 remains. Curiosity refuses to believe there is 00:02:31.310 --> 00:02:35.550 nothing left to discover. It whispers that there 00:02:35.550 --> 00:02:38.409 may be more beauty than we can currently see, 00:02:38.550 --> 00:02:43.110 more truth than we currently understand, or maybe 00:02:43.110 --> 00:02:47.310 more possibility than we can imagine. Maybe that's 00:02:47.310 --> 00:02:50.689 why curiosity and hope are so closely connected. 00:02:52.490 --> 00:02:55.370 So as we complete this week, let's consider a 00:02:55.370 --> 00:02:59.490 simple question. Where could my life use a little 00:02:59.490 --> 00:03:04.509 more curiosity? I'm Dave, and this is Intersecting 00:03:04.509 --> 00:03:04.669 Us.