Last summer at the Yescapades retreat, I asked in a channeling session about my right livelihood and how it supports myself and others. I was told that (and I’m quoting from my notes in my journal):
“My energy is pleasant and round, but that can keep me from accessing my authentic beingness. I need a practice of inquiry to sift the possibilities, find the ones that are truly juicy. Activate my greedy heart for the deepening, for what the path is. Let go of some of the pleasantness in order to go deeper. Inquiry. Sifting. What really lights up my heart and glows the most?”
Although I loved this advice, I didn’t pursue it actively at the time. Still, I feel like some of the work I did in the following months led me to a deeper understanding of what I truly want, and how it ties in with my vocation, my callings. But lately, as I’ve spent some time hibernating in my creative cave, I’ve reopened that practice of inquiry, in a more deliberate and conscious way.
One of my favorite inquiry practices is to ask questions of myself in my journal, and then answer them in stream-of-consciousness mode, getting my rational mind out of the way and letting my inner guidance flow through the pen. It’s made my daily journal practice even more fun and fruitful. Some of the answers I receive are really enlightening, too.
Here are some of the questions I’ve been using, in case you’d like to try on this practice for yourself. Many of them I’ve collected from things I’ve read or people I know, so I’ve credited them where appropriate.
What are my truths? What do I want more of? What do I want less of? What am I interested in? – Britt Bolnick
Where is my soul inviting me next? – JoAnna Rothman
What is my compelling vision? – Darren Hardy
What is my inner wisdom telling me about my life right now? What would I most love to learn about next? What new story (about myself) would I delight in telling? – me
Try it for yourself. It’s not selfish to take time to explore your own psyche. It’s rewarding, and it helps you to grow and learn, which allows you to better serve others and the world. If you truly know yourself, you can be your best and share your gifts.
Begin a practice of inquiry, and you’ll be amazed by the insights you uncover. You are wise. You know more than you think you do.
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