Questions, the Seeds of Discovery
"How does a person survive his own life, the ceaseless surprises, uncertainties, struggles, rerouting in strange, inconvenient directions? What force is it, exactly, that flips a falling man back on his feet, reconstitutes him after disaster, helps him prevail in the face of challenges far beyond his previous limits? What mysterious strength is it that enables us to outsmart 'the terrorists within,' those destructive maniacs under the skin - cynicism, despair, resignation, terror - that threaten to stop us in our tracks? Finally, how is it possible not merely to survive our greatest obstacles but to prevail in circumstances that threaten to stop us?" - "When You're Falling, Dive", Mark Matousek
No doubt, as the turbulence of our present world presses hard against our minds, we all have questions. "Are we going to make it?" "Will I keep my home?" "My car?" "My job?" "How will I feed and clothe the children?" "What kind of man/woman am I?"
Yes, these are truly potent and real questions. They haunt many of us daily with seemingly justifiable intensity. Yet, the truth is that these questions are like seedless watermelons; great to snack on but cannot produce a thing! They do good to nourish us for the day, but give us nothing for our future or our posterity...
Matousek is on to something with his questions, though; there IS something in us - whether it is latent or currently in use - that can and should be exploited to pull us out of our challenge, our misery...our dilemma. You see, the first rule of holes is very simple: STOP DIGGING! "Watermelon Questions" get us deeper into our hole; they remove responsibility from us and place it on others. Rather than give us something to "carry forward," they bribe us with the sweetness of immediate gratification...and while intoxicated by this sweetness, the same children we're concerned for - our posterity - lose out on a stronger future because we've refused to face the giant.
I believe that the RIGHT questions can pull us out of many challenges; again, it has to be the RIGHT questions. Many people saw the apple fall; Newton not only asked "why" - he asked the RIGHT question. I'm quite certain that "how"..."when"..."where"...or "who" might have been questions to ask as well. However, it was that "why" question that brought us scientific discovery that has shaped our world in a significant way. You and I don't have to be a Newton to make a dent on history; all we have to do is ask ourselves the right questions so that we can effectively become better suited and armed for a greater and bolder future.
What questions, then, are you asking yourself? Are you in the doldrums, completely lost in your own world and feeling sorry for yourself? Or are you now seeking opportunities based on the changes in the circumstances? Whatever you do, or are doing, one thing is for sure: the outcome is clear whichever way you go. That is why your CHOICE is much more important right now than your situation...
(c) 2019, Dr. Kozhi Sidney Makai. No part of this blog post may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system without the written consent of the copyright holder.
