Frustrated? Ask better questions...
Jun 12, 2026
Choose Curiosity
Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with my college football head coach from the University of Massachusetts.
Even at 58 years old, he will always be "Coach" to me.
We spent the better part of an hour reminiscing about games, practices, victories, disappointments, and all kinds of memories from my days at UMass. Coach shared some crazy stories and filled me in on things that were happening behind the scenes that I never knew about as a player. As he talked, I found myself thinking, "Man, those were some crazy times!"
When we got off the phone, something struck me.
Many of his greatest successes came because he asked questions.
He stayed curious.
He wanted to understand people. He wanted to understand situations. He wasn't satisfied with assumptions. Over and over again, that curiosity led to better decisions, stronger relationships, and often the exact breakthrough that was needed.
That conversation reminded me of the power of curiosity.
There is something incredibly powerful about showing up in this world seeking to understand, staying flexible, and helping others arrive at their own conclusions and convictions.
As I reflected on our conversation, I realized that curiosity is not weakness. It is not indecision. It is not a lack of conviction.
In many ways, it is wisdom.
In the final chapters of Job, after all of Job's complaints, frustrations, and questions, God could have simply rebuked him. He could have shamed him. He could have dismissed him.
Instead, He responds with question after question after question.
Nearly eighty of them.
Through those questions, God helped Job see what Job could not yet see.
Jesus often did the same thing.
When the religious leaders attempted to trap Him by asking where His authority came from, Jesus responded with a question of His own. Rather than overpowering them with a statement, He used a question to expose the deeper issue hiding beneath the surface.
Questions have a way of doing that.
They uncover assumptions.
They reveal motives.
They create understanding.
They invite growth.
As I've gotten older, I've noticed how easy it is to drift toward certainty, routine, and predictability. There is certainly wisdom in those things. But perhaps we sometimes lose something in the process.
A willingness to wonder.
A willingness to learn.
A willingness to be surprised.
A willingness to understand.
If you'd like to become more curious, here are two practices that have challenged me.
First, deliberately step into one uncomfortable situation this week. Have the difficult conversation. Ask for feedback. Sit down with someone who sees the world differently than you do. Curiosity often lives just beyond your comfort zone.
Second, carry one "beautiful question" with you for the next seven days. Not a question to answer immediately, but one to reflect on throughout the week.
What is God trying to teach me right now?
What am I avoiding?
Where am I settling?
How can I serve?
Great questions have a way of changing us long before they are fully answered.
That's what a Discovery Call is all about. Me getting genuinely curious about your life, where you are today, where you'd like to be, and what might be standing in the way.
So let me leave you with this:
This week, don't look for a better answer. Look for a better question.
Anything is Possible,
Dave Mitchell
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