They say curiosity killed the cat . . .

. . .but a lack of curiosity will put to death any possibility of you trying to enhance your creativity which in turn will minimize your innovation potential.

Now why is that?

Many new ideas start with questions. A simple pondering. A desire to know if what is being done now is really the optimum way? For all intensive purposes can a better mousetrap be built?

Of course it can.

Often times though, most would rather take the position of curiosity killing the cat and play dead/be dead than to think of it in terms of curiosity might just actually give you nine more lives, ideas or opportunities to create something that could just take the world by storm (and even if you fall short of that goal you'll still have grown in exponential ways).

Let's take a few examples:

• Without the curiosity of how design and hardware could work together (something barely, if at all, on the radar 10 years ago) Apple would not be where it is today.

• Without the curiosity of how manga (a hugely popular print and cartoon form in Japan but relatively obscure here in the states) and career advice could be merged you wouldn't have The Adventures of Johnny Bunko. The highly creative book on career advice by Dan Pink.

• Without the curiosity of how to actually create the worlds first 100% carbon and waste free community we would never have the Masdar Initiative. An idea of ambition, creativity and innovation in eco-design and thinking unparalleled anywhere on the planet.

These are just a small handful of ideas where curiosity is opening up the doors to new possibilities. The space and place for more questions and creative answers is endless. 

There is just one mole hill to get over, though.

Seeing curiosity as an opportunity generator instead of as something that will finish you off.  Once you wire that into your DNA. . . 

. . .then my friends you are off.