Stop looking outside yourself for the answers. Start asking yourself the right questions. Voltaire once said, “Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.” This is such sound advice, because if you keep asking yourself the wrong questions, you will never get an answer you like.
The questions you’re regularly exposed to have a powerful influence on the direction of your life. And, not surprisingly, the questions you hear most often come directly from YOU. What questions are you asking yourself? Are they helping you better understand yourself? Or are they sending you on a wild goose chase?
The problem is that when you think you have to “look” for things in life like love, meaning, and inspiration, the “looking” implies that these things are somehow hiding behind some bushes somewhere, just waiting to be discovered. So you start asking yourself questions that lead you further and further outside yourself, which is not where the answers you seek live.
In life you have to create your own love, define your own meaning, and harbor your own inspiration. This process starts on the inside, not somewhere else. Much of this can be accomplished simply by asking yourself the right questions. Start with these:
“Who am I?”
“What do I need?”
“How do I function best?”
“What do I have to give?”
“What’s the next step I can take right now?”
Obviously, there are many other questions you can ask as well. It’s all about self-inquiries that help you stay true to your principles, pursue your passions, grow through adversity, and add value to the world around you.
