Ask the Right Questions
I read an article while I was away in Discover Magazine. It featured a man who has worked with a lot of alternative energy sources. He says that one reason he has these ideas is that he keeps asking questions.
He uses the idea of a drill. Why do we need a drill? To create a hole. So if we can't find a drill, is there another way to create a hole? If we don't have another way to create a hole, why do we need the hole? So you follow that down to the result you want to achieve and perhaps there's a creative answer.
A common worry for people is that they don't have enough money. We all think that if only we made more money we'd be fine. Other people just try and trim their budget and still worry about money. However, we can ask, ultimately, what is it we want from money? Is it the security of knowing that we won't starve or have to live in a shelter? If so, then perhaps we can work on other ways of creating security for ourselves. Certainly we can still pursue more money but if we look at the reasons behind our need for it, perhaps we can create a way to feel secure, rather than just amass large amounts of money. If we just collect money in the hopes that it will bring security, then no amount will ever create enough security for us. If we look at our need for security, we can often feel secure and safe with far less than we would have imagined.
Next time we are worring, perhaps we should look at what is behind the worry and not the small item that bothers us. We might be surprised at what is there. Sometimes the answers may not be apparent to us immediately. Meditation can help bring clarity. It's important to remember to look beyond the easy answer. Sometimes the result that can bring us the most peace is the answer to a completely different question.
He uses the idea of a drill. Why do we need a drill? To create a hole. So if we can't find a drill, is there another way to create a hole? If we don't have another way to create a hole, why do we need the hole? So you follow that down to the result you want to achieve and perhaps there's a creative answer.
A common worry for people is that they don't have enough money. We all think that if only we made more money we'd be fine. Other people just try and trim their budget and still worry about money. However, we can ask, ultimately, what is it we want from money? Is it the security of knowing that we won't starve or have to live in a shelter? If so, then perhaps we can work on other ways of creating security for ourselves. Certainly we can still pursue more money but if we look at the reasons behind our need for it, perhaps we can create a way to feel secure, rather than just amass large amounts of money. If we just collect money in the hopes that it will bring security, then no amount will ever create enough security for us. If we look at our need for security, we can often feel secure and safe with far less than we would have imagined.
Next time we are worring, perhaps we should look at what is behind the worry and not the small item that bothers us. We might be surprised at what is there. Sometimes the answers may not be apparent to us immediately. Meditation can help bring clarity. It's important to remember to look beyond the easy answer. Sometimes the result that can bring us the most peace is the answer to a completely different question.
posted by Bonnie at 6:32 PM
1 Comments:
Thank you for your comment gothamimage. I think most of what we worry about isn't that important, but as humans we need to remember that sometimes we do worry. There needs to be another way to work on that worry. If worry or fear are driving someone's life, it doesn't matter whether or not the issue is important. What matters is that this is what the person focuses on. The more they can own that, work through that worry and what it means to them, the more "control" they have to calm themselves and ultimately live a more peaceful life.
Post a Comment
<< Home