QUESTIONS TO UNLOCK YOUR OWN ANSWERS – A Guide to Self-Inquiry -PART 2

Self-inquiry, the practice of asking yourself questions that unlock your own inner knowing, is a skill anyone can develop. It’s a tool for anyone willing to get quiet enough to hear themselves. This guide isn’t here to give you answers. It’s here to give you questions. Because you are the only person who truly knows what’s right for you.

How to Practice Self-Inquiry

Self-inquiry isn’t just thinking really hard about something. It’s a deliberate practice with a process:

1. Create space. Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. Turn off notifications. This isn’t multitasking work.

2. Choose your question. Start with one question from the categories above. Write it down.

3. Write, don’t just think. Something magical happens when you move thoughts from your head to paper. Write your responses by hand if possible. In my darkest moments, I found healing in writing.

4. Allow silence. Don’t rush to answer. Sit with the question. Let it breathe. Sometimes the deepest answers take a few minutes to surface.

5. Notice without judgment. Whatever arises, even if you don’t know, it’s valid. Don’t critique or edit as you write.

6. Follow the thread. If something interesting emerges, ask a follow-up question. Let curiosity guide you deeper.

7. Return regularly. Self-inquiry isn’t a one-time event. Make it a practice, even five minutes daily, to create profound shifts over time.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

As you develop this practice, watch for these traps:

Seeking the “right” answer. There’s no single correct answer, only your answer. Trust what emerges.

Giving up too quickly. If nothing comes immediately, that’s normal. Keep sitting with the question. Answers don’t always rush.

Intellectualising emotions. Self-inquiry includes feeling, not just thinking. Let emotion inform your knowing.

Forgetting to listen. Asking the question is only half the practice. The other half is genuine, patient listening.

When Self-Inquiry Reveals Uncomfortable Truths

Sometimes, self-inquiry leads us to an answer we don’t want to hear. Maybe you realise you need to leave a relationship, change careers, or admit you’ve been wrong about something important.

This discomfort is actually a sign you’re onto something real.

Remember:

• Knowing doesn’t require immediate action. You can sit with uncomfortable truths before deciding what to do with them.
• Discomfort often signals growth. If it feels scary, you’re probably touching something that matters.
• You don’t have to do this alone. Sometimes insights need processing with a trusted friend or coach.
• Timing is part of wisdom. Just because you know something now doesn’t mean you must act on it immediately.

Trust yourself to handle what you discover. You wouldn’t have the insight if you weren’t ready for it.

Making Self-Inquiry a Practice, Not an Event

The real power of self-inquiry emerges when it becomes a regular practice, not something you do only in crisis.

Start small. Five to ten minutes daily is more powerful than one hour monthly.

Keep a dedicated journal. Having a single place for self-inquiry creates continuity and helps you see patterns over time.

Revisit questions. Ask yourself the same question at different points in your life. Notice how your answers evolve.

Celebrate insights. Even small revelations matter. Acknowledge them.

Be patient. Like any skill, self-inquiry deepens with practice. You’ll get better at hearing yourself.

The Answers Were Always Yours

Self-inquiry doesn’t create wisdom. It reveals the wisdom that was already there, waiting for you to ask the right questions.

You are the expert on your own life. Not because you have everything figured out, but because you’re the only one living it. No one else has access to the full truth of your experience, your body’s signals, your values, or your deepest knowing.

The questions in this guide are tools to help you access what you already know and haven’t yet heard. Use them with curiosity, patience, and trust in yourself. Your answers are waiting, just ask.

I’m writing this blog as we enter the Lunar New Year of the Fire Horse, a time of self-discovery, clarity, and direction. If you’re looking for transformation, this is your invitation to act and rise this year. In my 1:1 coaching sessions, I guide women in designing sustainable strategies for their lives and businesses following adversity.