Q is for Questioning

Questioning is defined as showing an interest in learning new things.

I’m all here for learning and most importantly learning about myself through different experiences.

As you know developing awareness is something that is fundamental to me and one of the ways I try to increase my awareness is to ask questions.

Questions can help reveal things that you hadn’t previously noticed, be it in your surroundings or within you.

Questioning is a form of self-examination

One of the most important questions I ask myself is:

What is in front of me that I am not seeing?

I started asking myself this when I began following Kapil Gupta a few years ago. More often than not I don’t actually have the answer but the question helps me to pay attention and seek clarity. When life gets busy and I’m distracted it’s harder to make informed decisions, and the more I ask myself this question the greater the chance I have of slowing down, thinking with a more rounded mind and feeling more confident in the approach I decide to follow.

I recently listened to a meditation by Trina Brunk, it was called: 4 questions for inner alignment and the questions were:

1. Where do I want to create a meaningful shift in my life?
2. Where does my power lie?
3. Where can I place my attention?
4. If what I am unconscious of now became conscious to me what would be different?

I enjoyed thinking about these questions and it made sense to answer whilst I journaled, questions 1 – 3 were pretty easy to respond to but I found the final question which is quite similar to, ‘what is in front of me that I am not seeing’ to be pretty tricky. The question is relatively big and I guess it’s hard to think about what you’re not aware of until you think about it. And that’s why questions like these are helpful because it encourages thought.

Questions help me reflect on situations

Why did this feeling come up for me?

I try to be present with my feelings in all situations but I find that if I’m in a situation that’s new, I’m automatically more alert to what’s cropping up for me. I attempt to make a mental note of whatever it may be so I can think about my internal experience later on when I’m away from the situation.

I like this question because it’s about being curious and not judging the feelings I have, but more about accepting them and potentially letting them go or exploring them further and figuring out why those feelings occurred.

Questions help me remain consistent in who I am

Who am I when no one is looking?

It’s important that I show up and be my authentic self , whether that is me on my own or in a room full of people. The main thing is that I recognise what’s important to me and I live in line with that, irrespective of where I am or who I’m with.

Questions ensure that I’m mindful of what I believe to be true, may not always be the truth

Is it possible that my version of the truth may not always be the truth?

Another thing Kapil Gupta encouraged me to think about was prescriptions (how to’s), I definitely follow things that are prescriptive in nature which I’ve come to realise isn’t such a bad thing. I think knowing why I follow x is of most importance. As well as, holding in mind that something can be done in many ways and there are different versions of what could be possible to achieve said thing.

David Goggins said, the most important conversation that you have in your life is that with yourself – and I wholeheartedly agree. It’s questioning that allows these internal conversations.

It’s a pretty short post today, but these are just a few questions I ask myself and have found to be helpful in developing my awareness. I’ve learned that it’s okay not to know the answer and I’ve become comfortable exploring my thoughts . I hope reading this has been of some utility to you and can inspire you to examine your experience too.