Hello, friends! I hope you are well. I realize it has been quite some time since my last post. I have always enjoyed posting here and reading your comments. I hope to get back to it, and I look forward to our interactions.

Life really does move fast. I’ve found that I have less and less space [not time, because we always have time] for concentrating on writing and reflecting. This is more a result of the shifting dynamic of the nonprofit work I do, and also that I have been interested in different things and that other experiences have peaked my curiosity. I am actually grateful for that change, just as I am grateful to have this very moment to write this.

“To be nobody but yourself- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.” — E.E. Cummings

I’ve been reading a lot the last few years. Most of the stuff I’ve been devouring is somehow related to social systems, cognitive processes, human history, and a bunch of other random stuff. In other words, I’ve been all over the place, but it’s been fun and enlightening. Because I read various books at the same time, I find myself noticing connections in the seemingly-unrelated books in front of me. I keep coming back to our human identity and how we navigate this world, and how each one of us is actually…a world.

And each of us worlds are trying our best to be authentic. It’s hard, isn’t it? Because we are deeply influenced by our interpersonal relationships, family ties, religion [or secular tradition], political affiliations, etc. So I’ve found the following practice to be helpful, and I hope you will too.

What Is Your Guiding Question?

A Guiding Question can be defined as a setting of intention for your life and for each day in your life.

To form your guiding question, try these simple steps.

Who are you heroes?

These can be people living or not, real or imaginary, or people you have admired and look up to.

List their character traits that have led you to admire them.

Circle 2-3 of those traits from the list that stand out to you and are the most important.

Write the first part of your guiding question, using those traits.

My example: Heroes [Eboo Patel, Nina Simone]; Traits [confident, authentic, raw, creative, aware]; Standout traits: confidence, creativity.

My guiding question: What would Creativity do? What would Confidence do?

Give it a try! And if you are comfortable sharing, feel free to add your guiding questions in the comments. Be well! Sending strength and peace…