Lately, I have been exploring questions again. I was wondering about
- How much do people ask questions?
- What kinds of questions are they asking?
- Do they know that there are two different types of question? One is a real question, the other is a conclusion or belief with a question mark attached.
I love to ask questions. Initially they were more of the second kind, based on conclusions or beliefs. And, being curious, there were also plenty of real questions. I learned about the difference when it was pointed out to me that I had just asked what I now call a conclusionary question. They seem to be yes - no questions, yet you almost have to answer them with Yes. You would not answer them with No, since that would mean your conclusion or belief are wrong. And still, even those can be asked from a space of true curiosity.
The other thing with questions born of curiosity is how much time we give them. From school we are entrained to answer quickly in order to show that we know things.This makes the answer limited, based on what we know. This is true for even the smartest person on the planet since there is much more "out there", possible than we know right now.
I have learned to ask a question and then drop it or put it "on the back burner". I know and trust that I will get the answer when I am ready and willing to 'hear' it. I have to say that this is getting faster. Some times it only takes a few minutes, some times it may take a day or more. It depends on the complexity of the question and how many definitions or beliefs I have around the subject.
Then, there is the possibility of 'being the question'. Having asked questions of curiosity for years, it has become so normal for me that I don't even think about it. There are times when a thought crosses my mind and I know that this is the answer to a question that I asked without cognitively being aware of it.
Now you, the reader, may say oh that is possible for her but not for me. To which I say WRONG, it is possible for you if you are willing to practice asking questions. I remember saying and believing that very thing on several occasions, just to find out that, after being with it for a while, I was able to do it too. May be not in exactly the same way, yet do it, have a similar result.
So what questions can you ask? Any kind of question. Have you ever asked you body if it would like to ingest something? What it would like to eat, drink, what would make it feel healthy. I am continuously learning new things - out of curiosity. I am beginning to hear what my body is saying and admittedly, at times, I ignore it because it is one of my favorite foods or I am just not present. My body will let me know, though not in an accusatory way, neutral, matter of factly if I don't listen.
I have asked questions like: What would contribute to ..... ? How can I deal with ..... ? I have wondered about a benefit of something, or how the exact opposite might be. What about wondering if something is true, true for you, instead of accepting what someone else is saying? What's true for you can be unique. The world is not a 'one size fits all'. Find out how your body responds a something that is true for you. Then, there is alway the question if something else is possible, different from the initial assumption.
I invite you to play with asking questions. Don't make it another item of you 'to do' list in order to become conscious or aware. Explore! Have fun with it! And see where it takes you.