I am at a retreat, so I am offering a Memo from the archives today. It's been quite a while since I posted this one, so it should be new to most of you.
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Most people don’t know their purpose because they don’t ask enough questions. And if they are asking the right questions, they don’t hold onto their unanswered questions until they get answers—they abandon the quest. Finding and fulfilling purpose are often hard work. There are few shortcuts and no easy or pat answers. Even when you discover your purpose, it’s often difficult to know how and where to invest yourself. In short, a PurposeQuest sometimes involves more heart and effort than someone is willing or able to give.
I can’t stop thinking about the line I heard a motivational speaker make recently that quality questions lead to a quality life. What he meant was that you must seek the truth concerning who you are, and part of that seeking is asking the right questions. My job, as a purpose coach and writer, is to equip you with those quality questions. From there, I have faith that the quality answers will come.
For example, Nehemiah was interested in Jerusalem and its residents, even though he had never been there. One day a group of travelers piqued his interest and he asked a lot of questions. Their answers provoked him to prayer, thought and action. The rest is history.
100 Questions
Once I was talking with my sister-in-law and the issue came up of the questions I
listed in a prayer letter I used to publish. She
said those questions reminded her of a recommended exercise in a book I had
given her by Michael Gelb entitled How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci. Her comment made me return to that book and
find what she was referring to. Here is
a recommendation that Gelb made:
In your notebook, make a list of a hundred questions that are important to you. Your list can include any kind of question as long as it’s something you deem significant: anything from “How can I save more money?” or “How can I have more fun?” to “What is the meaning and purpose of my existence?” and “How can I best serve the Creator?”
Do the entire list in one sitting. Write quickly; don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or repeating the same question in different words (recurring questions will alert you to emerging themes). Why a hundred questions? The first twenty or so will be “off the top of your head.” In the next thirty or forty themes often begin to emerge. And, in the latter part of the second half of the list you are likely to discover unexpected but profound material.
When you have finished, read through your list and highlight the themes that emerge. Consider the emerging themes without judging them. Are most of your questions about relationships? Business? Fun? Money? The meaning of life?
I did my hundred questions in about 30 minutes, so it's not a long exercise. It was a valuable exercise that I have been processing for quite some time. Why not invest 30 minutes in your own questions that can help you find and fulfill purpose. Have a great purposeful week!
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