Have you ever heard the phrase ‘existential questions’ mentioned as something bad or unwanted? I certainly have. I’ve come to associate it with moments when someone would say ‘we need to get more practical’, ‘too much philosophising isn’t good’, or joke about something not really being so important.
I’ve secretly always loved existential questions and enjoyed asking them to perfectly innocent and unexpecting people. So yesterday I went full force and produced a deck of cards to play with two of my friends. They didn’t know each other too well and we want to do a special Bulgarian ritual together soon, so I thought it would be nice to connect a little deeper over wine. With existential questions, of course!
So we played and it felt awesome to connect with my friends in this way. What’s more, the big quantity of questions and time spent answering them with people I love provoked an interesting state in me. It’s as if with every answer I was reminded of my power to ask hard questions, to consciously choose my words and opinions about such things as love, success, freedom and to act according to them.
The result of all this came as a surprise. My friend Boji told me that I should stop scratching my head. I’ve thought and heard this so many times before, since it’s a nasty habit I’ve been carrying since I was a kid. Somehow, I never really came around to committing to change it. Immediately after our existential session however, it felt like a no-brainer that I should stop. What’s more – it felt super easy to just decide not to do it! So I did the unthinkable and promised Boji I would stop as of right now. And I did. I can’t even count the number of times I reached for my head today and pulled my hand back down on the way.
It might sound like a small thing, but it’s the way it FELT to do it that showed me the value of the little game we played. Next day, inspired by the ease of making such a decision and changing, I also committed to cutting my mobile phone use that resulted in 400% less time spent on my phone per day and 300% less pickups, which I felt I couldn’t do before.
Since my friends both took photos of the questions before they left, I thought of making it even easier for them and others to use them. Below, you will find a bunch of questions. You can use them to journal on them yourself or to play with others as we did. You can start with a minute per person to answer the question they drew. As they speak, the others listen. The important thing is to remember it’s not about finding the right answer – it’s about exploring what each of those things means to each of you! As soon as they finish, the others can share if they want about their definitions or draw another question. Here is the list (if you have ideas for others I should add, let me know). To use the power of the momentum you generate, at the end of the session, it might be worth for all of you to answer one more question: “Is there something I’d like to commit to start/stop doing right now?”. So here are the questions. Enjoy!
- Which person is a strong person?
- Is there life after death?
- What is personal power?
- What kind of greater force do you believe in?
- What is god?
- What is free will?
- What is the meaning of suffering?
- Do trees have a soul? How about rocks?
- What is success?
- What is freedom?
- Why do tears come?
- What is death?
- What is faith?
- What is happiness?
- What is the meaning of life?
- What is sacrifice?
- What is family and roots?
- What is destiny?
- What is soul?
- What’s the relationship between body and soul?
- What brings you most joy?
- Why do we have emotions?
- What is magic?
- What is a gift and what’s your gift?
- What is it that you lack courage for?
- What is love?
- What is friendship?
- What is good and bad?
- What is conscience?
- What is a hero?
- What is art?
- What is it that your heart wants the most?
- What would you do if you were a magician?
- What is imagination? What is it for?
- What’s your most favourite thing to do in the world?
- What is money?
- What is a miracle?
- What is a human being?
- Who are you?
About Lessons in Paradise
I believe we already are in paradise, regardless of where we are and what’s going on in our lives. I believe life is a journey towards becoming aware of this and enjoying as much of it as we can in the limited amount of time we have here. The ‘Lessons in Paradise’ vlog is the space where I share my process of shedding patterns and beliefs that obstruct our view in order to replace them with presence, joy and wonder. It’s also my invitation to you – an invitation to connect and journey together in creative ways, as we help each other see through to the greatest expression of ourselves. I also love creating spaces for growth-oriented people to connect to their soul power and life purpose. I do that in the form of coaching and workshops. Reach out if you feel called to explore these topics with me.
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