The power of Transformational Presence lies in its simplicity – quickly cutting to the essence of whatever is going on by asking simple yet powerful questions. Because our lives and circumstances today – from personal to global – often feel both complicated and complex, we can easily assume that our responses must be the same. However, addressing complexity with complexity rarely gets us very far. Simple questions that cut through to the core of what is happening will often break open complex situations and circumstances and allow us to see our way forward.
Lately as things got unexpectedly more complicated in my own life, I’ve come back to the power and importance of two simple questions.
The first: What am I assuming right now?
When things happen – especially things that catch me by surprise – I can easily start making up stories about what it all means, what the future will hold, how everyone feels, what is going to have to change, and much more. My coping mechanisms and problem-solving instincts kick in and run on overdrive. As a result, I can end up assuming a lot of things that may or not be true and that may or may not happen. Perhaps this happens to you, too?
In our personal lives, in business, in government and politics, we assume a lot of things. We assume we know what others intend, how others feel, what motivates their actions, what is happening behind the scenes. Sometimes our assumptions are true; often they are not.
Those assumptions create our realities – at least, what we perceive to be our realities. What could change if we paused periodically to examine the stories we are making up? What different realities might we create if we take time to question whether or not what we assume is what is actually going on? In my own life and work, simply asking, “What am I assuming right now?” opens my eyes and heart to deeper truths that I was missing because of the stories I was busy telling.
This leads me to the second simple yet powerful question: What is important for me to pay attention to right now?
When things are happening fast or circumstances and situations have many layers, this can seem like a complex question. It may feel like there are many things that are important to pay attention to. However, if I am willing to pause, be still, and tap into the greater wisdom present within me and within the circumstance of the moment, something usually rises to the top of my awareness quickly. While there may be a lot of information coming in fast, I am able to listen from a deeper place of clarity and perspective, which allows me to process and prioritize things from a place of focus and stillness.
These questions go hand in hand, complementing each other. They can help us identify quickly who we need to be and what we need to do in order to serve a greater potential that is trying to emerge.
Two simple questions: What am I assuming right now? What is important for me to pay attention to?
Try them on. See what happens.
P.S. If you would like further support in cutting to the essence of what is going on, a helpful resource might be Chapter 2, “Getting to the Essence,” from my latest book, Create A World That Works. The book is available in bookstores everywhere, on amazon.com, or through our website store.
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