The Power of the Question
I have a few questions for you:
1. What makes you come alive?
2. Are you living the life you dreamed of?
3. Why or why not?
I’d be delighted to hear about it. I’d like to know all the the details of how you think and why.
If you’re close by I’d enjoy listening to your story over a coffee at nearby Wallhouse Coffee (my easy favorite 🙂 ).
I am on a quest to discover the power of the honest question and it’s complementary counterpart, the power of a sincere listening ear.
There is something dramatic that happens—deeper than I have full grasp of right now—when I ask an honest question and wait actively for an honest answer.
A few beliefs about this I have right now:
1. It accesses and draws from deep within.
2. It accesses power to understand ourselves and others.
3. When we speak our heart it is an act of taking responsibility for our own story.
4. The power of confession—which is the act of taking responsibility for our own story—opens to us the possibility of getting healed and finding resolve when it is needed.
5. Another thing that happens when we speak our own understanding of truth from deep within we invite others to be honest as well.
6. This environment of honesty brings people together and invites people into each other’s hearts and creates a level playing field for all.
In case we doubt the power of the question, let’s experiment: Eliminate all questions from your speech for a week or even for a day and we will begin to better understand the power of the question.
The German Jewish inventor Charles Steinmetz said, “No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions.”
In my opinion, the power of the question is that it leads to stimulating conversation. There is no relaxation when a question gets fired. It’s stimulating. Engaging. And one of the best cures of boredom I know.
The latter concept is from Dorothy Parker: “The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.”
Asking questions can open doors for you.
Writing opened the highway of inquisitiveness before me.
Writing and asking questions has enabled me to satiate some of my curiosity, which in turn has enlarged my life. I am more alive because I’ve had the privilege of asking questions.
Today, I wish to inspire you to ask more questions.
Questions mean you care. Questions mean you’re interested. Mark my words—questions open doors.
It’s my job to draw out and capture the stories around me. Stories that aren’t being captured. Stories that aren’t being told.
Do you have a compelling story that needs captured? Lemme know. I’d like to hear from you.
It’s my mission to give a voice to those whose voices are not being heard. People we shy away from. Those who may have faced socially taboo experiences. Can we listen? Can we hear?
Off to the next story. (Because they gotta be captured.)
