From Freedom to Curiosity
plus: we need each other. Let’s connect in 2025
My word for 2024 was freedom, and I loved playing with that word and allowing it to guide me. I wrote monthly pieces about it here at the Blue Room. Here’s the most recent one, The Freedom to Be Human, which includes links to the rest of the series.
As a Firstborn Presbyterian Enneagram One Girl Scout, my responsibility game is strong. So it was a beautiful growing edge for me to let go of the need for control and lean into freedom and ease. I recently heard an idea attributed to the Buddha (paraphrased, and I haven’t fact checked it):
Wherever you find water, you can tell if it’s the ocean because the ocean always tastes of salt. By the same token, you can discern whether a teaching is true wisdom because true wisdom always tastes of freedom.
My 2025 word is curiosity. I haven’t decided whether I’ll write about it monthly like I did last year, but it’ll definitely weave through my work here at the Blue Room. It’s where we kicked off the Art of Onward series for supporting subscribers (not too late to jump in).
For me, curiosity means being compassionately kind and inquisitive with myself and others. It means digging into good questions that don’t always have easy answers, or even answers at all. It means getting centered enough to see the future as open-ended, even when astoundingly horrible stuff is happening.
One concrete example of a curious orientation for me: A lot of us are considering how much news is healthy to consume, and what kinds. As I make those decisions for myself, I’m drawing an important distinction between analysis (which I want to consume) and prediction (which I intend to avoid).
Analysis: here’s what these events/decisions mean and their possible implications
Prediction: here’s what’s going to happen and why will be good for [X people] and disastrous for [Y people]
Some analysis can prepare us for various outcomes. But prediction isn’t helpful, and it’s usually BS. Prediction isn’t curious. It’s too steeped in certainty for that, and in our doom-inflected media landscape, it usually points to dire outcomes, which kills our sense of agency and the personal freedom we need to help shape our future (there’s freedom again! Yes, my ’24-’25’ words-of-the-year are kissing cousins.).
Do you have a word for 2025? What is it? Or would you like to borrow mine? I’d love the accountability.
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What I’m Up To
Last Sunday’s sermon is available via the attached recording, or the manuscript here.
We’re in a worship series at Trinity called Letters from Love, starting from the premise that scripture is God’s letter from love to us. The series is inspired by the Elizabeth Gilbert project and as part of that, I’m leading an online writing retreat this Tuesday evening January 28 from 7-8:30 in which we’ll write our own Letter from Love. No reason Blue Roomies can’t attend along with Trinity folks! Message me below or email maryannmckibbendana@substack.com and I’ll share the Zoom link with you.
Finally, I’m really feeling the comfort and power of being together, so I’m interacting more with both free and paid subscribers on Substack Chat—available on the web or via the Substack app. (I’ve got some book groups, TV/movie watch parties, and fun conversations planned for this year, so now’s a good time to get acquainted on Chat!)
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Link Love
Hanne Blank Boyd has four suggestions for surviving life under the influence of a bona fide malignant narcissist. That second one. YES.
Steady on.
Love BOTH your words, MaryAnn. And you are a gift!!
Curiosity is a great word for 2025. It means not to take anything at face value and research until you've had enough of it. Maybe it has some cynicism mixed in, but I don't know how you can reach 78 years old and not have cynicism in your Life Behavior Bag. Also, it takes a good level of intelligence to be curious, too.