Written by: Ginger Carlson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Are you at a Crossroads? Do you know you need to make changes in your life, but you don’t know where to begin? Are you stuck and not sure how to think differently or flexibly or creatively? Are you trying to find your joy again? Or do you simply want more from this life you are living? Many people say, “easier said than done.” It’s actually much easier than you think. It all starts with a few pivotal questions. This article guides you through them.
Everything I teach is built on one very simple formula:
Awareness + Action = Aliveness
When you find yourself at a crossroad, wanting to make a change, first you must be aware. When you combine that Awareness with deliberate Action, you are able to think more flexibly and creatively about your situations and achieve a state of Aliveness.
There are 4 Dimensions, 4 i’s, if you will, to explore and be AWARE of before you can take ACTION towards your total ALIVENESS. They are Intention, Integrity, Inspiration, and Innovation. Within each of those dimensions live a few distinct questions. When you really reflect and answer those pivotal questions, you can jumpstart change in any area, from your professional work to your personal life.
Top 12 questions for jumpstarting change in your life
Intention: Intentionality is the deliberateness we bring to everything we do. It is showing up to the decisions we make with purpose driving us. I like to say that Intentionality is the “first course” and it sets the tone for everything that follows. Ask yourself these questions to reflect on your next steps with intentionality:
Who do I want to be in this world? Make a list of words that describe who you want to BE in the world.
What does beautiful look and feel like in my life? (Get really clear about what a beautiful and amazing end result looks and feels like for your life)
What am I trying to control in my life and how might I begin to practice the art of allowing?
Integrity. Exploring with integrity is really about getting in close touch with the values that drive us, and thus everything we do. What we find when we explore our integrity is that often we hold values that may be in conflict with one another. That is completely ok. It is the awareness of them that will make all the difference. Really dig into these questions:
What is most important to me?
What are the values that ground me?
What values do I hold that will be the cornerstone of my next steps?
What I am not willing to let go of?
Inspiration. Change often comes directly from inspiration. This means looking at everything as models and mentors. From nature to some of our greatest human achievements, there is something to be inspired by and learn from and model in almost everything. When we are inspired, we are more likely to be driven to action. Ask yourself:
What are all the models I can use as inspiration?
Where do I need to look for unique inspiration through this process?
What unique insights might be available to me when I am open to the listening?
Innovation. When your intention, integrity, and what inspires you in life collide, you are then positioned to create something new that makes an impact. That is what true innovation is, not just being “creative,” but actually changing culture, that of your own habits, or your company culture, or your community culture. Only when what you create actually changes the habits and practices and ways of being can it be called an innovation. When you have that, real impact can occur.
Ask yourself these questions to get you started:
What new things could become of me in this process?
What might I create that has an impact way beyond just myself?
Being Reflective, the act of thoughtfully reflecting on different aspects of life, is a critical, conscious practice that leads to growth and flourishing. The muscles you build through asking yourself these questions (and answering them honestly and thoroughly) will be the ones that allow you to access the depth that plants the seeds for new possibilities, potential, growth, and thriving!
Dr. Ginger Carlson teaches about flow and communication, and is the co-founder and CEO of Möbius, where she co-leads The Multarity Project™, uniting people in conversation around diverse topics, deepening understanding of our shared complexities while creating unique AI-generated art.
Need a little immediate inspiration?
Ginger Carlson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr. Ginger Carlson is an international keynote and TEDx speaker, leader, and award-winning author. She has presented and written widely on the topics of creativity, communication, growth, and transformation, and how to uniquely and positively nurture each of them in our personal lives and organizations. Dr. Carlson is the co-founder of Möbius Dynamics and CEO of The Multarity Project™. She can be contacted through her websites https://www.gingercarlson.com/ and https://www.multarityproject.com/
