Change Your Questions. Change Your Life.
The Power of Questions
The quality of our questions directly reflects the quality of our lives. As the saying goes, "If you want better answers, you need to ask better questions." The image that comes to mind is a potter molding clay. It is evident that the quality of the clay impacts the quality of the art they are creating. I see our questions representing the clay, and the pottery our lives. We get to create a masterpiece of our lives by enhancing the quality of our questions.
Often, we get caught up in our own minds, asking repetitive questions that keep us locked in recurring patterns. Because we are so accustomed to our own thoughts, they largely go unnoticed and unquestioned, and we therefore forget our power to direct our thoughts and questions. Questions hijack our focus and interrupt the brain’s thought patterns, bringing us out of the past or future and back into the present. They facilitate presence and deep awareness, and awareness catalyzes change and transformation. Questions have the power to tap into untapped energy and potential in various aspects of wellness: physical, energetic, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The questions we ask ourselves can either disempower us or empower us to feel more connected to our lives.
The Impact of Our Thoughts
It isn’t always our thoughts that create issues, but rather our feelings about those thoughts. Our feelings can compound and spiral us into familiar discomfort. It’s not the situation that creates our suffering, but the thoughts and beliefs we hold about it. If we don’t question our thoughts and beliefs, we perpetuate a cycle of predictable patterns that keep us living the same way. Interrupting our patterns and thoughts is essential for genuine change, and holds the key to becoming who we aspire to be. The beauty of the art of questions is that we can ask thoughts that shift our thoughts and feelings about a situation.
The Power of Inquiry
Of the 60-80,000 thoughts we think daily, 80% of our thoughts are negative and 95% of our thoughts are repetitive(National Science Foundation). This means the questions looping in our minds are also repetitive, often defaulting to those that don't reveal new solutions or clarity.
It is estimated that 5% of what we do is unconscious; our actions, thoughts, beliefs, patterns, etc. That is why inquiry is essential – it interrupts unconscious patterns and expands our minds, altering the brain's neural networks, which is foundational in creating change.
Tony Robbins encourages us to ask: “Can I prove this in a court of law?” Byron Katie developed a framework of Inquiry with Four Questions to question the truth about our thoughts. In questioning our thoughts we detach from identifying with them and become aware of them which enables us to discern the truth.
Reflective Questions
Take a moment to ask yourself the following questions and observe how you feel physically, emotionally, mentally, and energetically:
- Why is this happening to me?
- What if it doesn’t work?
The above questions can deepen a victim mentality. The framing of a question influences the answer and the resulting feelings. Therefore, it is imperative to consider the way in which we ask questions. Questions framed from a negative perspective likely yield negative responses. The brain is designed to protect us, so it is natural for the primitive part to come in and ask questions that are intended to keep us safe. But we can train the brain to think and inquire in new and empowering ways.
Instead, ask:
- If this is happening for me, what can I learn?
- What if this works?
- What wisdom is available to me now?
Expanding Your Perspective
These questions foster a growth mindset; cultivating excitement and momentum for us to then take aligned action in our lives. Questions of this nature expand our minds and train our focus on exploring possibilities rather than expecting the worst. Our lives are shaped by how we see things, which is heavily influenced by the questions we ask. By expanding our questions, we expand our minds.
The Art of Questions
The Art of Questions lies in remembering our power. Artful, intentional, and powerful questions help us rise into our potential and become who we are meant to be. It's time to change our questions and change our lives.
Let us learn to master the art of questions so we can create a masterpiece of a life!
