JANUARY 7, 2022
CURIOSITY
While I am no Albert Einstein, (Duh) I enjoy his quote which goes like this: “Learn from yesterday, Live for today, Hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” So simple and profound yet many of us choose to let life happen to us by living in the past, rather than living our best days today, or by not questioning and planning our own future.
Since brother Randy and I began our Foundational Band of Brothers, (and our Women of Worth) we have been asking a lot of questions of our young men. We are interested in finding out more about each one of them in order to see if there are some words of wisdom (Given our advanced age) that we might be able to share with them in becoming better men, husbands, fathers, brothers, and friends. I can assure you, since Randy and I are both in the fourth quarter of our lives, (and the clock is ticking) we are secure enough and committed enough in ourselves, (and each other) in asking a lot of “blunt and to the point” questions about life. This reminds me of an old German saying I learned from my in-laws from Western Nebraska on aging; “Too soon old and too late smart.” (They use the German dialect to make it sound more impactful) What are you learning about life?
Outside of just reading, listening, or observing some event, you may want to learn the REAL story about someone or something (along with getting to know yourself) in experiencing it for yourself. Try starting with your own Heritage. That means you need to be asking lots of questions in order to understand and build your own “real” perspective. Try being more “Proactive” in life rather than “Reactive” to life. John Maxwell quotes; “I believe that everyone chooses how to approach life. If you’re proactive, you focus on preparing. If you are reactive, you end up focusing on repairing.”
If you have your own Band of Brothers (or Women of Worth) and mentors, are you just watching Monday night football together or do you really try to help one another grow into being the best version of yourself? Our intention is to try and go as deep as each individual will allow, so that we can help peel back the onion of those childhood wounds that stop many of us from being and doing our best. That means you need to be willing to talk about and question your own life, your beliefs, your values, love, money, integrity, generosity, pride and death. (Wow! That is lot to unpack and could take a while) To respond to these questions, you will need to examine and interpret your past, project yourself into hypothetical situations, (“What if I did ________?” ) face difficult dilemmas, and make those painful choices as you navigate life. (Don’t deliberate too long or life may just pass you by.) These questions can be roads to individual growth, a tool for deepening existing relationships, a quick way to get to know a stranger, or merely pleasant amusement. I like to make it FUN because “Fun gets done.”
Each of these questions expose issues that warrant deep solitary reflection which can be exciting, by exploring them with your group and with others in making for good and open discussions. Of course, this takes the use of CAVE; Commit, be accountable, be vulnerable, and be an encourager. Once we have committed, most of us react strongly to questions that touch our own unresolved conflicts so that questions that many of us avoid, may just be the ones we need to consider most. There are no correct or incorrect answers to these questions. Only honest and dishonest ones. I hope you will choose to be honest with yourself.
If you are interested, check us out at elevatorguy.net or find yourself a mentor, a friend, or your own small group to help you with your tough questions in life. Being an “Authentic Man or Woman” takes confidence and courage in questioning and learning about life. Be strong and attack life head on and you just might find out your purpose, your calling and more meaning in your life than you ever expected.
Elevator Guy
Quote for the Day: “The Power to Question is the Basis of All Human Progress.” Indira Gandhi