Is it important to reflect on the 'Big Questions' of life?

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   Emanate Presenceposted 11 years ago

   Is it important to reflect on the 'Big Questions' of life?
   
   What is your experience with reflecting on questions such as 'What do I really believe, and why?', 'What are my values?', 'Who am I, really?' or 'Why am I here?' Has it made a difference to you, as it did for me when as a result of honest reflecting I shifted my worldview to one that is more authentic and Self-empowering (in my experience)?

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   Diana Leeposted 11 years ago

   Reflecting on big questions are important if you wish to influence the next generation and writing what you believe down somewhere may bring them to know you better long after you have left this world. But the big question I ask myself is: In a hundred years from now is anyone going to care about what I did or how I lived and why does it matter to me what they think?  All I know is. it does matter. I really want to leave a special message of some kind to my descendants and I really wish I knew more about my great grandparents and what they did and how they thought. Nothing was left to inform me or other family members much about them.  No wonder history books are so mixed up, when we don't even know our own family history to pass down to the next generation.

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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   Olde Cashmereposted 11 years ago

   I remember being more content prior to pondering these types of questions. I started thinking in these ways during my early teen years and it's consumed me since. In my mind, there has to be more than just what is shown on the surface of our lives. I think it's important to reflect on these questions because it can open new doors and enrich our experience here. I would like to think my time here was not wasted and that positive differences were made. Technically, I could have a ton of years ahead of me to do all sorts of good, or I could die tomorrow, who knows. Either way, it's crucial the time is not taken for granted, because my time could be up any moment.

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Olde Cashmere, would you help me understand? Are you saying you wish you had never started to ponder? Or that you would ponder ahead if you had a choice to 'do it over again'? Would you be up for forum discussion, on HP or elsewhere?

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   jaydeneposted 11 years ago

   Yes i`d say it is important. I think also that some personality types  reflect on this more thani others.  For introverts, this is a never ending question.  There are people born as introverts, and those who are not. Those who are not, seem to project more outward than inward, are more easy going, and seem to not care as much.  Seem to that is.  I am at a fork in life`s road at this time, and it is uncomfortable, but I think as long as we answer to ourselves what it is all for, that is all we can do.  At times the more questions there are , the less answers i have. I find sometimes the more information we have , the less we really know.  I`d say we all have to find what we are here for, and where we are going to put our energy in this life we have.   After all the one thng we all have in common is that  we will all die.  What we do until then, is not alway clear.   Writing for future generations is never a waste of time.  I find value in that

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Very interesting, jaydene. I had not considered the differences between how it is for introverts and extraverts, nor that the more questions the less answers. Would you be up for more extended dialogue along the lines of your road's fork, in a forum?

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      jaydeneposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Emanate,  sure I would be up to talking about my current fork in the road.  It is a life change and one I am having trouble sorting out.  message me anytime, and I will jump in the forums.

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I am the middle of a fork myself at the moment, deciding which country to live in! Would enjoy to dialog, probably it will be delayed until I am more settled (on an internet stick in frozen Germany at this time.)

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   connorjposted 11 years ago

   
   
   This I believe is the most important question to be asked in this area! I believe it should be the primary question that all should ponder...
   Absolutely, it is of great significance to both you, your loved ones and perhaps our world. Our greatest organ (no not that one) and perhaps, just perhaps the greatest is in the universe may possibly be our Central Nervous System (i.e. brain). By reflecting we are thinking and hopefully contemplating these important topics; by raising questions and pondering we will indeed make discoveries some of which will be significant.  On the other hand if we do not do this we may perhaps be not unlike lemmings in the latter part of their life...
   Read about John R. R. Tolkien's life from boyhood through to his death. He was one of many that contemplated these questions and others before he passed...  After all, I believe if you do indeed do this, it will shine light on the significant revelation that the common denominator in most of our great authors (the ones that have lived on in their books) is that their writings oscilate around these questions...

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, that is so. As jaydene wrote above, the one thing we all have in common is that we will die, and what we do with our time until then is up to each of us. Would you be up for forum discussion, here or elsewhere?

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      connorjposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Absolutely Emanate; I would gladly participate...

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Well, connorj, I would enjoy to have an ongoing dialog also. Thought I was headed to a place where that would be supported. If more are interested, we might start something. It may take me awhile.... Thanks.

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   studentsageposted 11 years ago

   You need to know who you are when there are so many interesting people in the world. If not, we latch onto others and suck out their interests, whether we really like them or not. Answering those important questions is being able to talk with someone amazing and interesting, while retaining your own opinions.
   
   When you're little, you agree with what the older kids say, or what you hear on TV, because you've never thought about important things. Now we're able to shake our heads at the things we don't agree with. We can make choices for ourselves.
   
   As for answering why you're here, I think it's something everyone has to do. If not, it will only eat at you. Personally, I think that no matter what we're here for, we should just do our best to be our best. That mindset has definitely helped me power through life.

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      High five.

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   moneyfairyposted 11 years ago

   What a powerful Question!!!
   Yes it is very important to reflect on who you are and why you are here and it most definitely makes a difference in how you view things as a whole. The great thing is that you are always and forever you Ever changing,multifaceted powerful life force energy, the answers to your life are never ending til death. That's what makes it so facinating. We are constantly seeing and learning new ways of being so there is no blanket answer but  rather a continueum of existence.
   So: What are my values? Whatever I choose them to be.
          Who am I really? anything or anyone I choose to be.
          Why am I here? to be whoever I choose to be.
   Life is just way to short to not live it in the way you choose to.

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for answering, and you might also like the Q and A on 'What does it mean to be a spiritual person?' happening now.

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      moneyfairyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I did comment on the spiritual person Q and A. have a look and let me know what you think. Thanks!

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   safiq ali patelposted 11 years ago

   Yes. Things like getting married. Buying a house or even planning a business I think are all big life questions and should not be approached without a huge life question.

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   Moeskyposted 11 years ago

   Personally - this is my whole life-theme. I've pondered these questions since I first became aware of the injustice and closed-mindedness around me - believe me when I say this was at five years old after a particularly nasty Catholic-school punishment involving a wooden spoon and my kneecaps.
   
   Fifty years on and I'm still pondering this, and the extent to which we are victim of our societal programming. I find it to be the most important and existential thing we can do in our lives. And answering the question "WHY" to everything you do and think and feel is the only path to knowing who you are, and discovering the potential and freedom you have.
   
   And it is freedom - but it's this total freedom that scares people - because once you know who you are, you accept responsibility for remaining so; and you accept the responsibility for everything that is not right - there's no-one else to blame. This is too much for many people to handle.
   
   If you don't ponder the questions, you are simply making a decision to live as you've been programmed... and that's a free choice too of course.

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