Too often we get stuck in the same ceaseless mental loops of not-enoughness, too-muchness, insecurity, (past) pain, (future) fears, and altogether restlessness of the mind. I’m not here to lecture about how to be the observer of the thoughts vs. being the thoughts themselves. At the moment, that’s a little above my expertise. However, since most of us have a constant flow of thoughts — even if they’re just labeling/categorizing your experience of life — and since it’s a whole other thing to tackle what it means be the awareness of the thoughts instead of associating yourself with the thoughts, I have come up with some simple, open-ended questions that will help prompt your mind into a place of graciousness and consciousness, without force or elbow grease.
Below are questions to reflect on, feel into, and maybe even write about. Even if you don’t have a steady journaling practice, or maybe you don’t even own a journal, still, I would encourage you to grab a piece of paper and jot down what comes up for you. This doesn’t have to be an intensely profound, deep look into your soul, but it also can be if you want it to. 🙂
The main purpose of these questions is to get you out of the everyday mind-chatter that keeps you in loops of (often) unproductive, mindless and/or negative self-talk, and to shift your thoughts closer towards what is actually true for you AND what is rooted deeply in real, raw gratitude.
If you don’t feel like writing now, bookmark this post on your device and come back when you feel like it. If you don’t think you’ll want to write at all, that’s fine too. Just let the questions sow seeds into your conscious brain that maybe your subconscious brain will later water, and eventually have some kind of clarity, hope, ease, or inspiration blossom.
No pressure here, friend. The goal is opening, whatever that looks like for you.
Some questions to consider:
What do you have now that you once wished so badly for?
What gets you out of your head?
What are you really good at, honestly? (Don’t downplay it)
When do you feel the most alive? Where are you? What are you doing?
How do you think someone you love would describe you?
Who are the most joyful people you know (or know of)?
What have been some of the funniest moments in your life that you can recall?
How has your body healed itself in your lifetime? (Whether through medicine, rehab, a so-called miracle, or just beating a cold).
What do you like about your daily routine/schedule?
Where have you really struggled in life and received some outside help?
What did you used to not be very good at that you are good at now?
What song makes you smile the most, currently?
When do you feel the safest? Why?
How have you let go more in life?
In what ways have you been a positive influence — on others, the earth, humanity as a whole, etc.?
Now, can you feel the shift in your thinking? Sometimes, if all we do is a half-assed “I am healthy, wealthy, and wise” dance, it’s hard for us to actually BELIEVE IT. Doing that may be a great freaking concept, but because it (potentially) doesn’t have a practical, relatable floor for you to stand on and really connect to, it’s almost just fairy dust without the pumpkin carriage. For me, I love a good woo-woo act, because if you can connect to it, that sh*t works! However, you have to actually connect with it in order to feel/see the difference.
That’s where using prompts such as this, that merge practical, “real” experiences with equally as real Loving Truth, can hugely benefit us. I think that when we spell it out in a way that our minds can metabolize easily, it helps us connect on a mental level, as well as a heart/soul/spiritual level.
I hope a light was brought to you in this, and that you can see your true, loving self more clearly. Sending you all sorts of peace, clarity, and “enoughness”. 🙂