FOLLOW WHAT MAKES YOU WONDER
do you remember "choice time" in elementary school? That glorious moment when the teacher would announce we could pick any activity we wanted—finger paints, building blocks, the reading corner. No agenda, no outcome to achieve. Just pure curiosity leading the way. I used to make a beeline for the art supplies, fingers already itching to get messy and create.
Somewhere along the path to adulting, I forgot about choice time. Worse—I forgot I was even allowed to have it. But lately, I've been wondering:what if I gave myself permission again?
We're fast approaching that reflective time of year when we start thinking about what we want more of in the year ahead, what we're ready to let go of, and what we feel pulled toward. This is the perfect moment to begin prioritizing choice, the things that make us curious.
Here's what I've noticed: our curiosity muscle can atrophy with time—we trade wonder for routine, questions for answers. We become so focused on what weshoulddo that we forget to explore what wewantto do. But the beautiful thing? It's never too late to start stretching it again.
Things I'm Exploring "Just Because"
Books.Here are a few I'm loving (have read or am still reading) right now:
Talk to Your Boysby Joanna Schroeder and Christopher Pepper — This one's been eye-opening as I think about raising boys in our current cultural moment. It's practical, compassionate, and honestly necessary reading for anyone parenting or working with young men.
Awakeby Jen Hatmaker — Jen's voice always feels like a conversation with a wise friend who's not afraid to ask the hard questions. This book has me rethinking what it means to show up fully present in my own life.
The Womenby Kristin Hannah — A beautiful, heartbreaking story about women and war that I haven't been able to put down! The kind of book that stays with you long after you've turned the last page.
Music.I've never been much of a music person, which is exactly why I'm feeling curious about it. I've been tuning into songs and artists who are new to me. The song I have on repeat right now?"The Baton" by Katie Gavin. It's this gorgeous, tender song about the complicated bond between mothers and daughters, and how pain and healing get passed down through generations. There's a vulnerability in her voice that just gets me. I'm particularly drawn to songs that make mefeelsomething—the ones that reach in and stir up whatever needs stirring.
Hobbies.I am completely enamored by grown adults who make time for nourishing hobbies—the ones untethered by a particular result or means to an end. The passion-over-productivity type. This is a growing curiosity of mine, and currently, I'm eyeballing crocheting (an activity I once believed belonged to "older folks"... hmm, I guess that might be me now 😜). There's something meditative and relaxing about the idea of using my hands to create. YouTube tutorials, yarn shops, and the motivation to make my own washcloths—I'm prepping to give it a go!
What Are You Curious About?
Maybe it's a book genre you've never explored, a creative outlet that's been whispering your name, or a skill that has nothing to do with productivity or self-improvement. Whatever it is, consider this your permission to follow it. Not because it will make you better or more accomplished, but simply because it makes you wonder.
Our curiosities are invitations—little breadcrumbs leading us toward more aliveness, more presence, more joy.Following them is how we choose ourselves.And in a world that often demands we justify every moment, choosing ourselves through what fascinates us is a quiet act of rebellion.
So here's to curiosity. Here's to choice time for grown-ups. Here's to picking up the yarn, pressing play on the song, or cracking open the book—just because.
As always,stay open, brave, and on-purpose.
