As happens, this idea started to have analogies elsewhere in
my life as well. That is whatever I’m doing I am a ‘coach’ just helping the
activity ‘answer’ itself and find its own way! It is a rather fascinating way
to approach life!
Let me start with something like cooking. First there’s the
question of what do I want to eat? My body knows and so I listen to some
possibilities. Open the fridge and ask, what’s in the fridge? Followed by what
would go well together? Soon the meal starts to develop on its own. When it
comes to spices, it’s the same – open the spice cabinet and just ask, what
would be good on dinner? Most of the time I am pleasantly surprised by what the
result is! And without opening a cookbook, or having to think at all.
“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
Considering the more personal side of self-discovery and
self-growth, it is very similar. It is a plethora of questions. Sometimes the
answers pop up quickly, sometimes they are incredibly clear. Other questions
require time, to let the question stew and gather experiences before there is a
semblance of articulation. There are times when writing helps as well. Really
though what is revealed is revealed on its own, not by thinking.
Even in my career where I write software, the process is
nearly identical. Our team is presented with an idea, something that needs to
be written to support our products. We all begin with questions – what does it
really need to do, what kind of performance is needed, how soon does it need to
be finished? These do require input. Once we begin the coding it becomes a
different kind of question – how do I write code, create a solution that
implements the desired result. For any problem there are dozens (hundreds?,
thousands?) or ways to get to the result. Most of the time, just asking the
question of what the result needs to be begins the process of getting to
answer. Then my fingers start to fly over the keyboard, my mouse moves across
the screen – and then it begins. The code writes itself! Not entirely, but
there is a large degree of truth to this.
The answers don't always come quickly, and they don't always appear as I would expect, nor are the answers themselves what I would expect - but with patience and faith, they do arrive.
The answers don't always come quickly, and they don't always appear as I would expect, nor are the answers themselves what I would expect - but with patience and faith, they do arrive.
Does this sound familiar? If so, great – see if you can
engender this trust in the answers to reveal themselves!
If this sounds way out there – give it a try! Just ask the
questions – and open up to answers. You actually probably do this and don’t
realize it. When you go to a restaurant and you’re handed a menu, we scan the
menu – what do I want to eat. Something usually pops out. It’s the same – let the
answer pop out!
