An invitation to the edge of yourself

Any journey of self-discovery requires curiosity. But it can be scary at times, so we also need courage. Working together, these two qualities help us discover new things about ourselves.

Learning shapes our lives.

And to learn, we need curiosity.

Curiosity helps us find new things and see new possibilities.

But when we explore, we also discover frightening things.

What do the old maps say about uncharted territories?

"Here be dragons”.

And so it can be for us when we look inward.

Things we have long since turned away from.

Parts hidden behind everyday concerns.

This can be challenging.

Yet we may want to look anyway, sensing that this is how growth works.

At the same time, we can be reluctant, afraid that what lurks in the shadows will disrupt our lives.

And so, along with curiosity, we need courage to help us meet the unknown.

With all this talk of dragons and shadows, the idea of courage might conjure up images of swords being drawn as we charge into battle.

All very heroic.

But there’s another way of thinking about courage.

We can remember that it’s about the heart.

So instead of fighting, how about meeting the scary stuff with an open heart?

An openness that respects our limits, even as we explore new things.

In this way, courage is not so different from curiosity.

They both invite us to be open to the unknown.

They ask us to question the inertia of the familiar.

And sometimes they challenge us to resist the momentum of habit.

In doing so, curiosity and courage can lead us to the edge of ourselves.

Frontiers where we can discover new dimensions of who we are and what we can do.

The very essence of learning.

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