When Life Hits Hard, Start with Curiosity

What if the single most powerful skill in difficult times… isn’t having all the answers, but learning to ask better questions?

In this episode, we explore how curiosity can transform the way we meet uncertainty, anxiety, and life’s inevitable challenges.

You’ll discover why the brain defaults to overthinking or avoidance when life feels unstable—and how curiosity interrupts that cycle, helping us reconnect with clarity, calm, and possibility.

Drawing from fascinating research at Harvard and Penn State, you’ll learn how curious minds experience lower anxiety, more flexibility, and greater resilience. I’ll also share a personal story from an unpredictable river kayaking trip that changed the way I meet life’s rapids—both literal and emotional.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stuck in spirals of fear or doubt, or craving a healthier way to navigate uncertainty, this episode will give you simple tools to pause, inquire, and move forward with strength and wisdom.

🎧 Tune in to discover how curiosity can become a steadying force in uncertain times—and how to start practicing it today.

Key Links:

📩 Newsletter – Get invites to free live meditations, tools + updates:

https://melliobrien.com

🎁 Free Deep Resilience Care Package – My gift to support your inner strength:

https://melliobrien.com/#deep-resilience-care-package

📚 The Book – Deep Resilience – A four-step journey to unshakable inner strength:

https://melliobrien.com/deep-resilience-book/

📖 Curious Minds by Perry Zurn & Dani Bassett – The science of curiosity and connection

https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691243960/curious-minds