There's one motivation that propels Elizabeth Gilbert through her delicious true story of self-discovery in Eat, Pray, Love. It's not success. It's not even determination.
Nope, it's openness; a conscious curiosity about everything and everyone around her. Whether pizza, a foreign phrase or friendship, if it's new, she says a heartfelt 'yes!' to it. And, boy, does it do her good.
WayToBlue
"Although you might believe certainty and control over your circumstances brings you pleasure, it's often uncertainty and challenge that brings the longest lasting benefits" reveals leading psychologist Dr Kashdan.
"Of the five personality traits most commonly used to describe our characters, 'openness', and therefore curiosity, is the most consistent predictor of our creativity and our professional success."
Here's how to be more open and start leading a more fulfilling life today.
10 life curious tips
Start your day with a new experience
Listen to a different radio station or meditate for 15 minutes before doing anything else.
Find the unfamiliar in the familiar
Take a new route to work, or start a conversation with someone you see at the station each day.
Discover something you didn't know
Read a section of the newspaper you wouldn't normally.
Schedule in regular doses of novelty and challenge
Lunch with someone you don't know well, and find out something about them.
Surround yourself with creativity and creative people
Visit a new gallery, pick up your camera, or go to a seminar after work.
Be mindful in daily life
Listen to a band you've never heard before or spend five minutes thinking about what you're really, really like to do at the weekend.
Take a chance
Say 'yes' to an invite you'd normally say 'no' to, and see where it takes you.
Be open and receptive
Listen to someone else's opinion on a topic you're passionate about.
Bond with your party over shared curiosity
Meet up with a new couple or friends together.
Thrive on uncertainty
Ask someone to choose your lunch for you. Or ask your best friend to take control of your social life for a few days.
For more "life curious' tips from Dr Kashdan, see the October issue of Psychologies magazine with Julia Roberts on the cover.
Do these ideas resonate with you? Perhaps you already do some of them? Post your own tips for a more fulfilling life!