The Spark of Wonder: Why Curiosity Matters

The other night, I was pouring grease out of a pan and thought to myself, “I wonder if it will fit in this tiny can.”
Sure enough, it did.

But then I had a new problem: the can was too hot to move.
So naturally, my brain went to: “I wonder what will happen if I put an ice cube in it.”

And as I grabbed the ice cube, I thought: “I wonder why ice is this shape? Why isn’t it cute and small instead of this funny half-moon curve?”

So there I was, at dinner, sharing this little thought and talking about ice. My kids immediately joined in with their own questions — “Yeah, why is it shaped like that?” — while my spouse jumped in with science, explaining the mechanics behind it.

And I realized something: while these conversations may seem silly - they are important. Curiosity isn’t just for kids or classrooms. It lives everywhere, even in the mundane.

Why Curiosity Matters

Here’s the thing — wondering is more than idle thought. It’s a spark.

• It’s playful. It turns ordinary moments into small adventures or little experiments.
• It’s connective. Sharing a question pulls people into conversation — sometimes even laughter — and it brings us together in different ways.
• It’s expansive. Curiosity opens doors to new perspectives, ideas, and possibilities.

But too often, we brush off curiosity as trivial, or we trade it for certainty. We decide, “That’s just how it is.” And when we do, we lose a bit of wonder — and with it, a piece of growth. The expansion available to us through being curious, through wondering, and through sharing with one another can reshape our world by shifting our thinking.

Curiosity in the Everyday

The world doesn’t only need curiosity for the “big questions” — life, meaning, the universe. It needs it in the small, silly, and seemingly insignificant too.

Because the truth is: wondering is never wasted.

• It teaches us.
• It connects us.
• And it reminds us that there’s more magic in the world than we often let ourselves see.

Be Curious!

So here’s my challenge to you: 

the next time you catch yourself thinking “I wonder…” — don’t dismiss it. 

Follow it. Ask the question. Say it out loud. Let it spark a conversation.

Because curiosity isn’t something we outgrow — it’s the pulse that keeps us alive to possibility. And that’s the real secret: curiosity expands us into joy, wonder, and possibility. It’s how we create and experience Quantum Joy.