Not to burst your bubble, but just because it has flat bars and an XT derailleur, doesn't make it an MTB.
Back in the early days of suspension forks, the 50mm units we were fitting to our 'NORBA-standard' 26" MTBs made a noticeable difference. That's why you see 90's MTBs with those 150mm 0*-rise stems on them. Modern MTB geometry takes in to account the 80-140mm of travel that is available in current-generation forks.

Like [MENTION=454965]Kapusta[/MENTION] said, going by the numbers your bike is far more road bike than MTB. The fact that '700c' and '29er' wheels are all 622 ERD kind of blurs the line between 'hybrid' and MTB. That said, though, it does look like a bike that would be fun on groomed trails and unpaved MUPs. 40mm is a decently wide multi-use tire, and it looks like you have decent clearance, if you wanted bigger tires. Upgrading to a high quality tire, and optimizing your air pressure would also improve the riding experience.

As far as curb-hopping and clearing smaller obstacles, work on your bike-handling skills, especially the bunny-hop / wheelie-hop and practice the art of 'riding light'
My townie / path-bike is a repurposed road bike with 32mm tires, and I have no problem on gravel or going over curbs; I have lots of practice from the days before suspension.