Questions are capable—when answered honestly—of revealing truths that are incredibly valuable to our life’s journey.
During our time today we are going to be thinking about questions that we ask ourselves. While some of these questions can be really tough for us to answer, they are key to staying on the path to real success and being committed to a process of self-discovery.
Questions that cause me to truly reflect upon where I am and how I got there—questions like: What is good in this situation? What can I learn from this? How did I arrive in this situation? What is my body language saying right now? Why do I feel afraid? Why do I feel happy? or Is this leading me towards becoming the person that I am created to be?
Another really important part of developing the skill of asking yourself questions is to learn how to ask follow-up questions. If you try a new food, it isn’t enough to simply ask yourself, “Do I like this?” The follow-up question would be, “Why do I like this?”
I think you can understand the process here. The purpose of these questions—in the food analogy but more importantly in the greater growth opportunities of life—is to be self-aware. When we discover how to ask ourselves not only about our assessment of things, but also our reasons for that assessment, we are on a path to self-discovery that will certainly help us make better choices and learn more from each experience that we have along the way.
Be fair to yourself. Honesty does not equate to debilitating self-criticism. Ask yourself the tough questions, give yourself the honest answers, and then be kind to yourself as you process those answers and move forward towards becoming all that you are created to be.
- Exercise:
What is one experience or problem that you need to ask yourself some tough questions about?
What are the tough questions?
Integral Development Forum 