Questions That Can Take You to Wonderful Places

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​Asking yourself a good question is one of the most effective way to reflect on yourself, to discover more about a situation you find yourself in and ultimately to grow and prosper.

The quality is here much more important of the quantity. Not just the quality of the question but also the quality and attention invested in answering the question.

After all, asking yourself a question is quite a simple things to do, easily accessible for most. It is an activity you can do independently or that you can share with other. It is both economical and rewarding. Why, then, are questions for self-reflection not more used?
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I believe there are some important aspects of answering questions for self-reflection that, if clarified, could help making the activity more enjoyable and effective.  I share here below what, I think, are a couple of important consideration about self-reflection using questions. Furthermore I will share few good questions to start working with this self-reflection tool.

The question is more important than the answer
 
When considering a question, it is easy to jump to the answer, the quicker the better. It may even feel like a good sign of personal growth if you can find easily and quickly an answer.
 The truth of the matter is that the magic happens in the time you invest in exploring your inner life to research in the direction of an answer. In fact, when the question is asked, your brain is activated, your sensitivity is triggered and a whole process inside of you is now taking place.
This is the process that will help you grow, discover and understand. That is the purpose of questions. Sometimes an answer comes, sometimes not, but the magic is in the question. For this reason, my suggestion is to take time to welcome the question, to rest in silence with that question, or even to take yourself and your question for a walk in the woods as I did when I worked with the questions I propose below.
 
The value of the question is measured internally
 
When you choose a question that you decide to give some attention to, you are starting a journey within yourself. The same question used by someone else would result in a completely different experience from yours.
Your journey is unique and the associations, realizations and awareness that that one question will bring you are an individual experience. For this reason, it is impossible to find a wrong answer and it is useless to compare yourself with others.
The answer to your question will emerge from within yourself and is it every time a wonderful experience to participate. Diving deep to follow this trail of internal movements is a profound experience of self-discovery that I hope you will learn to appreciate more and more.
 
Choose your challenge
 
You have the power and freedom to choose the question you work with and that is a tool to navigate your personal development journey consciously. I Invite you to determine for yourself what question is relevant for you now, but also what is challenging enough to encourage growth without being too arduous for you right now.
Working only with the questions you choose is your prerogative and one of the ways in which you embrace your personal power. The choice of a question is a developmental experience in its own right. There are questions that you may tend to avoid, however, could be the right one to work with to break a barrier. What can also happen is that questions are to challenging and leading to excessive emotional discomfort. The best way I know to make this choice is using your intuition and your self-knowledge. You can always let go of a question if you realize it is not working for you.
 
Quality over quantity
 
In term of personal growth, I am convinced, answering one question a week and doing that with depth and enjoyment, is much better that racing to answer ten questions a day. It is most important to cherish the journey and creating for yourself the time and space to observe the unfolding of personal content that a question can activate.
My suggestion is to appreciate the silence that can be the first reaction to a question that is challenging you appropriately. But also to play with questions as long as you feel they are producing fruits for you.
 
And now a little selection of questions to choose from:
 
1. What fear is holding me back from taking risks to achieve my goals and dreams?
 
2. What am I insecure about, and how does it affect my daily life?
 
3. What habits or behaviours do I engage in that I know are harmful to myself?
 
4. What daily activities are holding me back from achieving my goals?
 
5. What will I regret about how I’m living my life right now when I’m older?
 
6. What negative self-talk do I engage in, and how does it truly affect my self-esteem?
 
7. What daily routines or habits undermine my goals?
 
8. What small changes can I make to improve my daily routine, productivity, and overall life?
 
9. What relationships in my life are draining my energy, time, and potential?
 
10. What are my most common excuses for not following through on my goals?
 
11. What limiting beliefs are holding me back from adopting a better mindset, habits, and lifestyle?
 
12. What tells me that I can’t be the one to achieve my goals and dreams?

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Author

Lara Briozzo