Entrepreneurship/ Personal Development

The Power of Asking Questions

I’ve noticed something interesting lately:

when we keep asking questions every day, we start finding answers in unexpected places in our daily lives. So, it’s essential to embrace that feeling of not being sure.

These moments of discovery often happen when we’re not intensely focused on something, like when we’re casually using our phones or just thinking about ourselves.

For instance, I tend to have these moments during walks, showers, or while driving. Recently, I’ve even found myself getting ideas after listening to podcasts.

Every morning, I walk my dog, and I’ve been thinking about a lot of things during those walks. Just the other day, I found out that someone in an organization I’m involved with decided to quit suddenly—right in the middle of a meeting! 😅

Even though I wasn’t there, I heard that everyone was shocked and silent for about 10 seconds, thinking, “What just happened?”

I’ve had a good relationship with that person, but I’ve always felt uneasy about their approach to finding the “right answer” within the organization.

While it’s okay for everyone to have different opinions, our organization encourages different viewpoints. But I’ve felt unsure about his attitude toward finding the “right answer.”

Anyway, whether it’s discussing it with him or with other members about this matter, I want to share my thoughts honestly after thinking about them myself. So, I started my walk feeling uncertain.

During my walks, I practice facing that uncertainty. Even if it’s something small bothering me, I reflect on it and ask myself questions.

When something surprising happens, emotions can take over, making it hard to think clearly. This time was no different, and I felt sad, angry, frustrated, and resigned all at once.

But instead of ignoring those feelings, I’ve learned to acknowledge them. It’s a bit challenging, as I’m used to pushing away emotional pain to deal with challenges. But this time, I’m facing it.

So, even though I wanted quick answers and to avoid the discomfort, I realized that trying to find easy solutions or ignoring the problem isn’t helpful.

Instead, I’m embracing the process of feeling and not avoiding it. Interestingly, when you acknowledge your feelings, they start to calm down, and things become clearer.

Although I’m still learning, I’ve realized that facing emotions is essential for a richer life.

Also, some people, when they start making money after struggling financially, use the satisfaction of solving physical problems to avoid facing their real issues (that was me 😅).

So, when you feel uncertain, it’s good to try to address that feeling as much as you can.

If you just brush it off with a “I’m fine feeling uncertain for now,” you might forget about it and miss out on a chance to grow.

It’s a shame not to grab such a valuable opportunity, so I wanted to share the importance of “struggling as much as possible” to overcome challenges and grow. 🙇‍♂️

ABOUT ME
Yuzuru Ishikawa
Small Business Growth Specialist | Director at Globalcube Limited | CMO for Kesae Total Balance: Beauty Massage Salon | I specialise in helping small local businesses that aspire to expand to a nationwide scale |