Are you happy?
Are you afraid?
Do you want something else, or also?
Do you ever wonder what if or what now?
Are you angry with someone?
Are you angry with yourself?
Are you overwhelmed?
Do you need help with something?
Are you lying about something?
Are you where you thought you’d be?
Are you worried that it will all be taken away?
What do you want, really want, in life?
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Are you honest with yourself about things? Do you ever ask yourself questions like the ones above or are they just too big & scary?
For what it’s worth, I find these questions to be enormous and unwieldy and depending on when I ponder them, a bit uncomfortable. I guess I just think that it’s important that we take time here and there to ask such things of ourselves. I have chosen to be a bit more “out there” with my existential explorations than many people (by writing/blogging) and do not advocate that we necessarily run around sharing our answers to these questions (if they exist) with the world, but rather than we ask and try to be honest with ourselves at least. Sometimes, I talk with friends and they insist that they never think of things like this, or ask questions like this, and it amazes me. Probably because I am an over-asker? Is there such a thing?
Anyway, look forward to seeing what if any conversation this brings!!
Powerful. Thank you for this.
These two are big questions for me right now: Are you where you thought you’d be? and What do you want, really want, in life?
Not sure I like my answer to the first question, and I do not have an answer for the second one yet…. I might be an over-asker too
I can be honest with myself, but it may take awhile in some cases. For example, right now I’m plugging away at work, but the big question that has been flitting in and out of my head today is – am I happy with my job? I don’t know if I’ve been honest with myself about this question lately. Actually, perhaps I’m just starting to let myself be honest. I don’t think I am happy and it is starting to come out (not in the best way either – I find myself using tones that are not the kindest). Do you ever do that? Act out without realizing what’s driving the act? I feel like such a horrible person. Not sure what to do…maybe I should be asking myself if I want something else.
Yes, I am honest with myself about things and I don’t think these questions are too big or two scary. But it is a very personal thing : how much we like / want / need to ask these questions. I’m a biologist and somewhat fascinated by how the mind works, as well as the subtleties of human behaviour, so I like to delve deeper. I find it interesting to find out what is actually going on behind the scenes. It helps me to understand myself and others better. I have really good friends to discuss these things with. We help each other to negotiate the road of life. I’m angry with a member of my family right now and my friends are helping me to see that I am actually dealing with the situation in a really good way, which stops me from beating up on myself too much. I am overwhelmed at work right now, so I have taken two days off, as mental health days, to just catch up with myself and get grounded and centred (which includes reading your blog and posting long comments !!) and I’m lying because I’m not telling work the real reason for my absence. They don’t accept ‘mental health day’ as a reason to skip work.
All the time. Too much, I think sometimes. The question for me is what to do with all the thoughts and realizations. Huge change is scary.
I wonder too if other people are as preoccupied with these thoughts. I think they must be, no? If not, I envy their smooth walk through the world. I question everything.