There are many great questions in the universe. I continue to be amazed at the power of questions to take us places we’ve never been before. I’ve written previously about some of my favorite questions, but this post is about one that had fallen off my radar and now, it’s back.
”What has become clearer to you?”
My friend and mentor, Howard Hendricks, introduced me to this question many years ago. I’ve never asked him if this was an original question or if he got it from someone else. Regardless, this is an outstanding question. Our brains have the awesome ability to synthesize vast amounts of information – if we prompt it to do so.
This is a fun question to ask others, but it can also have great value if we ask ourselves! This question can prompt you to do at least three things of value.
Stop – Life moves fast. The world moves fast. We move fast. We all miss stuff. For me, insight is almost always preceded by stopping. It may not sound like a big deal – try it. Stop – listening to your ipod, talking on your cell phone, listening to the radio – for just an hour and see what happens. Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to move to step two…
Reflect – This is a really good thing. After we’ve stopped the merry-go-round of our lives, even if just for a few moments, we can think; we can reflect; we can consider things that we have missed while moving so quickly.
Articulate Our Thoughts – Having stopped and reflected, we now have a point-of view that others can consider, benefit from, challenge and perhaps enhance. Who knows, if we’re fortunate, our ideas may transcend the realm of random thoughts and become a reality. As a general rule, ideas that cannot be articulated cannot be achieved.[GLS_Shield]
What has become clearer to you recently?
Mark, recently I’ve been thinking a lot about “Who Am I?” It is an opportunity for me to consider who I am, what I believe in, what I stand for, what are my goals, needs, dreams, wants, etc. After reading your post this morning I decided I need to schedule some time in my busy calendar to think about the only connection between “Who Am I?” and “Who I Am.” – “WHAT HAS BECOME CLEARER TO ME?” Thanks for the great post. Make it a great day!
Zane, thanks for your thoughts! Time to reflect is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. I pray your time will make the important things clearer. Mark
Great article Mark. There’s a lot that has become clearer to me lately. #1 – I’ve become more clear on who I am called to serve. Rather than try to serve everyone, I’m really getting to know my niche. #2 – I’ve been called to SERVE! Just by really getting clear on that (which I thought I knew) everything about my business and life has changed. #3 – I was wasting time and thinking I was busy. I have started getting up earlier, chunking my time, and making sure that the things I “say” matter to me, actually get time on my calender!
Appreciate you!
Traci Reuter
Fantastic! Clarity and focus are both essential to maximize our impact as leaders. Congratulations on your breakthrough! Thanks also, for sharing your insights. Mark