What is the single most important question you can ask yourself today? Take some time to think about it. Maybe it is not as obvious as it might appear. I thought about it this morning while I was drinking my coffee and eating my oatmeal. The question I asked myself ended up raising more questions for me to answer. I asked myself, “What can you do today to discover a deeper level of happiness?” Well, the next question was, “How can drinking your coffee and eating your oatmeal make you happier?” Now, that was a good question. I stopped thinking about my question and enjoyed the smokey flavor of the French roast coffee I was drinking. Then, I paid attention to my oatmeal. I always put cranberries in my oatmeal along with Goji berries. I put cinnamon on top and add some raw honey. I savored every bite. When I finished I asked myself if I was happy. My answer was, “On a scale from 0 to 10, where 10 is the happiest a human could possibly feel, I’m at a 7. I feel peaceful. Life is good. I’m looking forward to my day. ” So, what is the most important thing you can do today?
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Today’s Thought: Do You Have it Figured Out?
I shy away from folks who’ve got it all figured out. The righteous ones who know the answer before I can finish asking my question. I’m still wondering about what I’ll make for dinner tonight and how my football teams will do this weekend. Life is messy. It’s unpredictable. It’s a good thing I have my digital assistant Alexa to keep me on track (LOL). Those who got it all figured out, God bless them. Give me people to hang out with who have a lot more questions than answers. People who don’t take things too seriously. People who I can count on to be there when the road is rough.
Episode 35: The Suffering Experienced While Grieving Changes Us
In Episode 35, of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I talk about the why questions that continually play in my mind without providing an answer. M and I talk about how suffering changed me and taught me lessons I could not have learned any other way.
You can listen to Episode 35 on your favorite podcasting app or click here for Episode 35
Don’t forget to hit the subscribe button to receive notifications of future episodes.
Thinking Out Loud: Create a New a Positive Reality
Learning to Appreciate. A look at appreciative inquiry. Excerpts are taken from, Appreciative Inquiry Handbook (2003) by David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney, and Jacqueline Stravros.
A fundamental assumption underlying appreciative inquiry is that the language one uses creates one’s reality. Therefore, the emotional meaning of words such as dysfunctional, codependent, and stressed out effect once thinking and acting. This deficit based vocabulary can inhibit the vision for a better and brighter future and limit growth. 17.
Note: I received an email from a friend this morning. My friend used words such as “no escape, no victory, and doomed.” He was using dificit thinking. These words can only exacerbate the stress my friend feels from his work situation. I know his situation and don’t see it the way he sees it. A change in his language would change his attitude toward the challenges he faces. We can easily become stuck with this pattern of thinking. It is counterproductive and puts us in a fight or flight position. If we ask ourselves, “What is happening here? What are the positive alternatives to what is happening here? What opportunities exists in this context? We begin to generate positive alternatives. The more positive questions we ask, the more constructive our language becomes. Instead of building barriers to protect ourselves, we discover ways to work with others to construct a new reality. We’re never condemned to what is. We have the power within ourselves to create a new and more positive reality. What are you waiting for?
Thinking Out Loud: Where Do You Want to Go with Your Life?
Learning to Appreciate. A look at appreciative inquiry. Excerpts are taken from, Appreciative Inquiry Handbook (2003) by David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney, and Jacqueline Stravros.
The appreciative inquiry principle of simultaneity recognizes that inquiry and change are not truly separate moments they can and should be simultaneous inquiry is intervention the seeds of change are in the things people think and talk about, the things people discover and learn, and the things that inform dialogue and inspire images of the future they are implicit in the very first question asked. p. 8.
Note: “Where should we go out for dinner?” This simple question changes your life. It demonstrates how inquiry, the question about going out for dinner, and change occur simultaneously. Change occurs since you perhaps planned to kick off your shoes, enjoy a glass of wine, and when you feel right, hope there are leftovers in the fridge for two. By going to the restaurant life is changed. It’s changed by the way you travel, the people you’ll see, and the conversation you’ll have. The questions we ask have the power to determine our destination. Where do you want to go with your life? Are the questions you’re asking the right questions to get your there?
Which Statements are True of Regular Exercise?
Answer this health-related question about the benefits of regular exercise. Each question has three correct answers and one incorrect answer. Select all the correct answers.
Healthy Tips: Answer These Questions About Salmon?
Eating salmon is a healthy choice. Do you know the answers to these three questions about salmon?
Thinking Out Loud ~ A Powerful Question: Who Am I?
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Lewis Carroll’s work, Alice in Wonderland. Alice in Wonderland is available for free download from Project Gutenberg here.
“Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I’m not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle!” And she began thinking over all the children she knew that were of the same age as herself, to see if she could have been changed for any of them.”
Note: Alice asks an important question: Who am I? Have you asked yourself that question? If we spend time reflecting on the question and allow ourselves to see and hear unpleasant truths, we have a chance to evolve the who we are into the who we want to become. I think we’re always evolving, we have a chance to choose the direction of our evolution. We can eventually evolve and allow ourselves to blossom into something spectacular.
Daily Quotes to Brighten Your Journey
“Don’t listen to the person who has the answers; listen to the person who has the questions.”
Feeling Good Tip of the Day ~ Better Relationships From Better Questions
At the end of a long day, we tend to mentally check out of our lives and, consequently, our relationship. We rely on the standard question, “How was your day?” But because we hear that question so often, many of us will reflexively just respond with the bare minimum: “Fine. How was yours?” This does nothing to improve your connection and can actually damage it because you’re losing the opportunity to regularly connect in a small way.
If your initial “How was your day?” doesn’t spark much conversation, try asking more creative follow-up questions: “What made you smile today?” or “What was the most challenging part of your day?” You’ll be amazed at the answers you’ll get, with the added benefit of gaining greater insight into your significant other.
Note: Other questions to ask is: What was something great that happened to you today. What made it feel great?
