Prolific You

Kids love to ask why while adults love to understand why? In fact, some say that if you want an unbiased opinion of yourself ask a five year old, and you will be surprised at the purity of their thoughts and innocence of their understanding. Thank goodness, am no longer five but I still love to ask why, and appear to have an insatiable desire to understand why; even when this question may lead to more questions or frustrations than answers.

I learned earlier on that if you want to know what is in the heart of some, you are likely to find the right answers if you ask the right questions. In his book, Start With Why, Simon Sinek argues that the why question often reveals our true motives and beliefs, and adds that getting I touch with your Why connects you with your true meaning and purpose. things that you and I might not be aware of. For me, asking why has not only led me to understand but has also opened the proverbial pandora box thus leading myself to learn more than I was willing to or care even when I would have preferred not to, and last but not least, led me to capitulate in cases where my inquisition led to some discoveries about me that became unreconcilable after the fact .

I recall one particular instance where I found myself stuck and I could not make sense of what was going on in me. I struggled for days, and no matter what strategies I employed all was in vain. So, one day out of frustrations I asked the Creator, ‘God why is this and that?’ I did not hear an audible answer or anything of the sort but just as quickly as I had asked, a thought come to mind asking why I asked the very question in the first place. As I thought to conjure up an answer, I realized that my thoughts were naked before me, and that my motivation for asking the question were based on something I sought to proof to myself or justify in my mind–which in essence collapsed my reasoning and desire to know, and in that instant I knew I had to let my ego go and let it be.

This experience was cathartic to say the least, and although I did not reach my ultimate goal of obtaining and understanding the answer, I have come to the acknowledgement of the fact that there are things that I will never understand for the life of me no matter the desire to. This epiphany in on itself was very refreshing as it awakened me to new possibilities, perspectives and a paradigm–that life is truly an aadventure, at times we enjoy our discoveries while other times we learn from what we discover or even make sense of life when all seem still and unproductive. As I later learned, it’s during those moments that we grow from inside out–but growth does not just come, one has to be willing to look within and not without! I should add that often than not, when I engage myself in self inquisition; I do get answers that transform my views and ideas on whatever the matter. And most importantly, where people are involved, I find that I connect more with people who are willing to be vulnerable, and share their world with me. This not only has led me to great and strong relationship with my friends and others in my network but I have noted that vulnerability invariably leads to a deeper connection between us.

So next time you seat next to a stranger at the airplane or airport, I dare you to start a conversation and therein in ask ‘Why….? You will be surprised at how much you will receive though you might not understand it all, and how true it is that unlike kids; we enjoy life, family, friends and others when we intentionally engaged, and as the late Stephen Covey would say, “seek to understand before we are understood.”