UPBUILDING THE SELF
The Power of Powerful Questions
Mary and Vipin dive into the topic of asking powerful questions, in coaching and everyday life. Through personal examples, they talk about what constitutes a powerful question, why it’s important to get curious, the value of being mindful about the things we are asking, how to create conscious relationships, and the impact of asking open-ended questions.
Podcast Hosts: Vipin and Mary
Highlights
[1:50] The Four Listening Channels and the Power of Curiosity
[2:20] What’s important about asking questions?
[3:50] How one question can change the trajectory of one’s life
[5:50] Appreciative inquiry
[12:30] “What you appreciate, appreciates”
[15:30] What makes a question helpful?
[19:10] Creating conscious relationship
[20:30] What makes powerful questions powerful
[23:20] Vipin’s curiosity example
[30:20] Bring Me the Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life
[32:20] What am I not seeing?
Quotes
“What you appreciate, appreciates…even in the relationship with yourself.” -Mary
“Many of us become really uncomfortable in the presence of a powerful question because it opens up the space and it opens up the landscape of our looking.” -Mary
“If I truly think I know the answers, then there’s not really room for powerful questions.” -Vipin
“There’s no right or wrong question. The invitation is to practice and have fun with…the inquiry.” -Mary
“It’s not necessarily about what’s the right answer, but what’s true for me…” -Mary
For first timers, welcome to Upbuilding the Self
About the podcast: Two former monks, a former startup founder and CEO, and a former equity derivatives trader dive into how to be our best selves, free from the ego. Our egos are the identities we create for ourselves and wish the world to validate, but when we are not seen as we want to be, we feel insecure. This podcast lives at the intersection of leadership and spirituality. It will help you understand your ego and shed light on your inner world so that you can act with greater clarity, compassion, and the freedom to be your best self.