Eight Powerful Questions That Will Change Your Life

One of the keys to living a life of passion and purpose is discovering your unique brilliance and living it. Many of us have wondered 'what is the meaning of my life' and 'what am I here to do'.

One of the skills I have developed as a business coach is to ask provocative questions that challenge people to think beyond the ordinary and discover their own personal vision for how they can make a difference in the world. I ask my clients to think about what's really important to them, what they love to do, and what energizes and inspires them.

The following are some of the most thought provoking questions I ask my clients to consider. These are great questions to ponder and journal when you feel a little stuck or frustrated. They will give you a better perspective, clarity, and direction about your life as you live it each day.

Take the time to really listen to your answers from inside as you would listen to a dear friend. Tune into your authentic inner voice. Have an inner dialogue with yourself to determine the answers to what your vision is of what's possible for the world.

1. What is my personal definition of success?

2. What am I passionate about? What lights me up and brings me joy?

3. What are my special gifts and talents and how am I using them every day?

4. Does my work currently bring me meaning and fulfillment and allow me to express my uniqueness?

5. What do I often dream about doing that I have never done?

6. What is my BIG vision of what's possible for the world? How can I make a difference?

7. Which three personal qualities do I value most, and how deeply am I expressing them in my relationships and in my work? (examples: truthfulness, love, spontaneity, fun, leadership, inclusiveness, mastery, positive attitude, presence, joy, creativity, peacefulness, committed).

8. What would I want to be written on my obituary or said about me in a eulogy?

Once you have your answers to these questions, ask yourself what actions you could take to make these changes and to give your gifts and talents fully to your work and to the world. Most often, it's the smaller steps we take on a consistent basis that bring about renewal, rather than major changes.

Think about what you could do today to move you closer to where or how you want to be. How do you want to be living your life next year? What do you want more of or less of in your life? What do you need to start or stop doing? What changes do you need to make in your work, relationships, and physical environment?

These questions can be revisited from time to time for fresh insights. Make a commitment to listen to your answers and act on them. Be guided by your own inner wisdom and longings.

Are you living the life you thought you'd be living?

Take the time to reevaluate where you are and where you're going, and what you want out of life. Nothing is more interesting than your own life. Become fully engaged in your present. Start to live your life by design rather than by accident.

Set your intention, follow your intuition, and be on the lookout for clues and coincidences that will change the direction of your life. Take a risk. Think outside the box. Dare to live a larger life.

Start each day with an intention and a commitment to achieving the positive shifts you want in your life, and watch for miracles to happen!