Watch Your Questions

 I have found that everyone has a constant question inside of them. This question is the guiding force of a person's life. By identifying the question within yourself, you can recognize how you interact with life and what your repeating patterns are regularly. What is your question?

 My question for many years was, "What do we do now?" When I would face a challenge or deeply ponder on a situation, I would ask myself this question. By regularly asking myself, "What do we do now?", I would always come up with solutions, but then, I would automatically create more challenges in life. My inner question resulted in a constant cycle of problems.

 Once you identify your constant inner question, ask yourself, "Is my question part of the problem or the solution?" In many instances, you will find your question leads to answers that produce situations that will create opportunities to ask your inner question over and over again.

 When I identified my question of "What do we do now?", I immediately changed it to an empowering statement, "I know what to do now". This simple shift in my thinking increased my capabilities to handle challenges better and reduce problems.

 Long ago, when a young boy entered the Buddhist monastery to become a monk, his instructor said, "You need to quiet your mind through the art of meditation." The young lad asked, "Master, how do you meditate?" The wise teacher replied, "By quieting your mind." After a moment of contemplation, the boy asked, "How do you quiet your mind?" "By not thinking about anything", said his Master.

 After many minutes of sitting with his eyes closed trying to clear his thoughts, he looked up to his still teacher sitting next to him and said, "Master, I can't clear my thoughts. When I concentrate on thinking about 'nothing', I find myself still concentrating on something which is nothingness. After I notice my concentration of nothingness is back, I ask myself, 'Why am I not able to clear my thoughts?'" With a smile on his face, the monk replied, "Your thoughts are not the problem; your dragon is the question."

 By constantly asking yourself the wrong question, will produce results that will lead you back to the same question.

 How do you break the cycle of your inner question? Try these steps: 

1. Identify your inner question.
2. Decide to replace your inner question with an inner, constructive answer.
3. Take notice when you catch yourself asking that question throughout your day.
4. Gently, correct yourself with the reminder that you don't ask yourself that question anymore and repeat your new positive and empowering answer.

 Just like any other conditioning in life (physical, mental, etc.), replacing your negative question with a positive answer will take a little effort at the beginning, but in no time at all, you will be able to accomplish it as you have so many other things-with practice.

 Remember your second grade teacher who said, "There are no dumb questions...." Well, I beg to differ. If a question holds you back or keeps you stuck in a pattern-it is dumb to ask it.

 Watch your questions like, "Why are these bad things always happening to me? What next is going to fall apart? Why can't I get a lucky break? Why can't I find that perfect mate? Why can't I ever get a windfall of money in my life? Why can't I find a better job?, And so many more questions that possess the fire and destructive capabilities of a dragon.

 Whatever we think about most of the time, we become. Make sure the questions you ask are leading you to the right answers.

 Until our thoughts lead us back together again, I am

 In loving service,
Dr. Michael J. Duckett