Do you know what your point of inquiry is about your life?
Many of us do not take the time to recognize that certain issues continually haunt us. They rear their heads at inopportune times and either trigger a volatile reaction or are quickly pushed aside and ignored.
But it's these very life situations that can become points of inquiry for you.
Many well-known teachers worldwide reference the use of self-inquiry in a quest for spiritual liberation, enlightenment or self-realization, and it is one of the key teachings from Sri Ramana Maharshi.
Some questions that can serve self-inquiry include: Who am I? What is life?
What is my true nature? Who am I without a thought, feeling or emotion?
The challenge, of course, is to listen to what arises and, when an answer does appear, dive deeper and peel away the layers or the veils of illusion to arrive at the truth of your being.
There is no end to discovering who you are; selfinquiry can reveal certain aspects about yourself you may not like or, for that matter, you may not be ready to accept.
But being aware and going within to discover the answer can make the difference between continuing a negative cycle or ending it.
Many of us hold other people accountable for the way we feel, or we use things that have happened in our lives as excuses for our behaviour.
We can take responsibility for who we are by simply choosing to use the process of self-inquiry to ask how these situations affect our being.
Do they make you angry, sad, frustrated or anxious? If so, don't engage and feed this particular pattern of blaming others for the way you feel.
Simply go within to resolve the conflict and see what happens.
Self-inquiry is an amazing tool of self discovery and it is always available to draw upon when you are searching for a resolution in your life.
If you have the willingness to dive deep and tell the truth to yourself, you have the ability to change the way you move in the world.
When drama or situations of conflict arrive in your daily life, simply choose not to engage in the situation.
Release judgment of others and place the focus on yourself.
Go within to ask how you are relating to the situation and what choice you can make to change it.
Lorraine Wilson is a guest speaker, group facilitator and provides one on one mentoring for those who wish to live a mindful life. For more information visit www.keepinglifesimple.org.
