“Be a sponge. Be curious. Ask questions. No question is a dumb question. No, seriously, ask a lot of questions.”
I am halfway through my internship with a Lexington, Kentucky, construction company, and one common theme that I hadn’t heard enough about beforehand is the importance of simply asking questions. From the very first day until now, I’ve been constantly reminded to ask questions. Everyone I talk to says, “Learn as much as you can” and you guessed it, “Ask questions.”
Going into this summer, I understood that it was a time to learn, be curious and apply the knowledge I had attained in school. But what I didn’t realize is that asking questions can open up endless possibilities.
A couple of weeks in, late in the day at the office, after I had completed all my work, I began asking other departments if they had any tasks I could assist with or look into.
The first person I asked didn’t have anything, but led me to the project executive, who also didn’t have anything. But he pointed me to a sea of people and said, “They are swamped over there; someone will have something for you.”
I finally ran into one of the assistant project managers, who gave me the answer I was looking for. He gave me access to a few subcontracts to review and encouraged me to come up with any questions I had.
He took the time to let me be curious and explore. Of all the technical and soft skills I’ll take with me, a deeper understanding of curiosity is what will stick with me the most.
A significant part of my faith is being in a progressive relationship with Christ, growing with him, and strengthening that relationship by asking questions. I believe this can also apply to communities.
What’s special about the church is that it brings people from all backgrounds and perspectives together. Asking those around us questions and learning from others can be very meaningful.
Be a sponge of those around you. Instead of judging or disregarding their views, ask questions, be curious about their point of view.
This experience has shown me that curiosity leads to meaningful opportunities and deeper understanding. I’ve discovered that curiosity isn’t just accepted, it’s encouraged.
Taking this mindset with me back to school, to church, and into daily life is something I genuinely look forward to. To grow spiritually is to learn, ask questions and listen.
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Dakota Felton is a student at the University of Kentucky and a Good Faith Media intern.
