Written by: Michelle Sherbun, 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.
Wisdom comes with open questions that feed our curiosity. But it also takes courage to explore what may be hidden. I watch my clients grow in their own wisdom with questions that reveal their deepest truths, clarify intentions, create possibilities, provide deep insight, and drive new directions. With this in mind, I recently reached out and asked them what questions were tugging at them.
Some of those questions follow here, but beware, our personal questions often lead to more and better questions.
Hint: Explore those questions that cause you to pause and challenge you to dig deeper beyond the first answer that comes to mind.
What is the most important next step after answering the question, "what brings you happiness?”
I love this quote from Pericles.
“Happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.”
Add a dose of curiosity to a little courage, and you have magic!
Questions
Do you currently have the freedom to live a happy life? If not, what is getting in the way?
What fears might be holding you back? What are you willing to risk to be happy?
What does being courageous look like for you? What might you need to lift up your courage?
Have you defined what kind of life you want that will feed your happiness?
What motivates you? When are you in the flow of life or a project?
How important is it to you to be happy? Is it a priority?
When you are unhappy, what are you thinking? Feeling? And how do you act on those feelings?
What thoughts do you have about your limitations to achieving happiness? Are those thoughts true?
What can you walk away from that stunts your happiness? What can you walk to that nurtures your happiness?
If we assume choices are the great gift of being human, what choices can you make that lead to a happy life?
How do you stay optimistic and hopeful when your envisioned life and/or goals are no longer your "north star" or possibilities?
Let’s face it: transitions can be such a nuisance. But trust that you are where you need to be right now. This is where you start. Take a deep breath, and jump in.
Over time, your experiences and the world have changed you and so your possibilities have changed. Remember: Joy is a choice. If you choose joy, then you ultimately need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable in your search for new answers and boundless opportunities.
Questions
What do you want to become – deep down – in those spaces you’ve left unexplored for far too long?
How would you define your authentic self?
Where and when do you get to be your authentic self?
What is your purpose – your calling? Do you need to stay or correct course to live that purpose?
If the word “purpose” doesn’t resonate for you, what are you trying to create? How will you measure it?
What might be missing in your life right now? How long has that been missing?
What might happen if you open your heart to new or forgotten possibilities?
Where and when are you happiest?
How might the life you envisioned change? What has that life given you? What has been lost?
What part of your life might you expand? What part of your life can move to the background?
What do I do when I feel "rudderless?" I feel a bit "rudderless" when those around me seem to have comfort with what their life "is."
“Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty.” Pema Chödrön
Know that your life is rich. Even the smallest moments can nourish the heart should we see everything we receive as a gift. First, acknowledge all you have working FOR you, and remember how you got here. The best answers come in the quiet, where you can hear and listen to your deepest self. Remember, you are on your own path – not the path others have chosen for you.
Questions
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What motivates you? What shuts you down?
If you had to pick 3 – 4 pillars that are necessary for you to live a happy and fulfilling life, what would those be?
Who are the people who get you and will challenge you to live “you” to the fullest?
How can you create space for yourself to think, feel, to be? How do you unfold?
How can you explore your own understanding and awareness of yourself.?
How do you choose to engage with the world?
What are you curious to explore?
What do you need to creatively seek a new direction?
What might you regret not doing?
What don’t we know to make a decision? What do you know to make a decision?
What does "leadership" look like when you no longer work with a team of colleagues at the same organization?
“Personal leadership is the process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with them.” Stephen Covey
It is important to remember that before we can lead others, we must first lead ourselves. The very act of introspection – the time we spend intentionally reflecting on our experiences and our thoughts – opens the door to understanding ourselves better. Through self-reflection, we can dive deeper into our own fears and the wounds that get in the way of inward and outward-facing leadership.
On a scale of 1-5 (1 being very bad to 5 being very good), how good are you at making time to self-reflect?
How might you define yourself when you are outside the role of leading a team?
To increase your own self-knowledge, what is most important for you to focus on?
What is your secret sauce – your own genius?
Where do you have connections outside of leading a team – that place where you feel you are nurtured?
How comfortable are you with the idea of entering a period of change?
What concerns you about this period of time?
What excites you?
Michelle Sherbun, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Michelle Sherbun came to her career first as a vocalist and an actor. And while she no longer performs, the listening and improv skills she honed on stage became the foundation for the leadership coaching she does today. Whether partnering with an individual leader or working with a nonprofit or business team, she taps and nurtures their courage, curiosity, and creativity to create the possible. Her favorite question: WHY?
