What single brave decision do I need to make today?

How inquiry propels me forward

If I had to choose one tool or practice that has had the greatest impact on my life it is, inner inquiry. The power of observing myself, coupled with self-study, (which begins and ends with self-reflection), has altered the trajectory of my life.

To level set, I love my life. Truly. I love every ounce of it and that is a choice. That’s not to say I don’t have aspirations and experiences I would like to create which would enhance my life. However, those things occurring is not requisite for my fulfillment. That was not always the case. For many years, my sense of happiness and meaning was nestled in many ideas of what I thought I needed to have, or should have to then say, “I have a good life.”

Whew, I am glad that has retired!

How did I arrive here? I arrived here through an intentional and deliberate path of inquiry. The more I flexed this muscle, the more compassionate and at peace I became. Somewhere in the midst, and there was a lot of study and skill building, I began to see myself as truly what I am, a beautiful work in process, a soul using a human experience to grow and learn.

That point of view assisted me in shifting my context away from relating with myself as an object or project to perfect. Instead, I choose to be curious and use my life as a vehicle to experience all that living has to offer.

I made friends with despair, disappointment, anxiety, expectation, you name it.

I am not saying they are my buddies and I invite them over for tea. However, I have an awareness and skills that support me in simmering their kryptonite. I don’t expect the uncomfortable feelings to not be a part of my path and when they come around, which they certainly do, I surrender to them. For me that just means I don’t spend much time fighting them off, and if I do, it doesn’t take me long to remember, I have another way of being I can embody.

Asking myself, what single brave decision do I need to make today, challenges me to take risks.

It encourages me to step into the unknown and in a way de-mystify whatever I may be experiencing fear around. It's a form of accountability. It also keeps me pumping my self-awareness muscle.

Powerful questions like this and others support me in the practice of being curious about myself and how I am living. If I want to create something, which I often do, self-inquiry is my greatest coach and companion.

You may consider:

• What benefit would I receive from engaging a practice of self-study?

• What area of my life do I feel stuck or (fill in the blank) and where some self-inquiry could assist me in shifting?

• What single brave decision do you need to make today?

You, my friend, are a masterpiece. You are a diamond and your fullest expression, your best life, is through it all, not skipping any of the parts of the many facets of you.