The Art of Practicing Questions: Wisps of Clouds Reshaping Who We Are

Have you ever sat quietly in a room of people with your whole conversation centered on asking questions?  Our Community of Practice last night was invited to "practice asking questions."  We focused our questions on the Community of Practice itself, with some of the questions centering on:

• Who are we?
• Where are we headed?
• Has - and how has - the Dialogue practice shaped or reshaped us?
• Plus, any other question that an individual felt comfortable to share.

The goal was simple: practice asking questions.  We were encouraged to allow the questions to sit quietly in our midst, with no intention of answering the questions or engaging in a dialogue or a discussion about the questions or topics.  It was an amazing experience!

Reflections on our time together:

• Our questions formed a conversation in and of itself.
• Many of the questions flowed together, overlapped or added to what others were asking, and yet, each question introduced a new idea or thought that enriched us.
• How often we want to "solve" a situation instead of allowing it to "just be."
• Sitting and listening to each other's questions - without having to answer the questions - created a freedom to listen more intently, outwardly and inwardly.
• This moment of inquiry created a spaciousness that was sacred, expanding beyond any one person.

I wonder if that is how clouds feel?  Wisps of individual elements in the vast sky that join together and move beyond - forming into one shape that we seem to recognize, and then moving into different forms of individual and communal awareness.  Isn't it interesting when Light plays on these wisps of gathering elements, drawing forth new beauty?!

As I go forth from last night's experience of community, I am called to practice asking questions of myself, of you, and of us.

"I wonder..."     "I am curious about..."     "I notice..."     "I assume..." 

All are ways for me to enter into the Spaciousness of Other, to understand who I am in relationship with You.

And so, I am left to wonder, what questions do you have of me?

Larry Gardepie