Simple Questions With Big Answers

Imagine if the whole world asked the same question at the same time.

Recently I was reminded of how inspiring a starting point can be in inspiring big ideas. The Museum of Brisbane had an exhibition inviting people to complete the idea “The Future Is….”.

The displayed responses were from people of different ages, different backgrounds, and different languages.

It was a joy to see how heartfelt many of the answers were, all from a three word prompt.

It reminded me of a similar three word exhibition that has taken off around the world, the “Before I Die” walls. In public spaces, walls are turned into giant chalkboards and people are invited to complete the sentence “Before I die, I want to….” It has become immensely popular & powerful. Even more so, it has caused people to stop & reflect, to set a goal, to look at the big picture, to break routine.

It’s the most natural thing in the world to get caught up in routines and they can be helpful. But it’s also easy to get lost in a routine.

“Big things are inside you waiting to be unwrapped.”

We need interruptions to routine to break the trance it has us under. Otherwise, decades can disappear.

It’s important to have catalysts which make you evaluate, which make you think in a different way. It leads to new discoveries, new directions, new opportunities and new attitudes.

Sometimes it’s simply about rediscovering what’s important, re-centring your direction, embracing the opportunities right in front of you or reminding yourself of who you are & whether you are being true to that.

Or perhaps these questions just leads to a memorable moment for the day.

These big things only need a simple prompt. These big things are inside you, waiting to be unwrapped.

Have the courage to ask new questions and to ask unexpected questions. If a question hasn’t been asked in a while, perhaps it’s time to ask it again.

At Awkward Silence, we want you to surprise people by asking questions that switch them on. It’s a simple idea with big possibilities for you & for the world.

Which of our questions do you want to ask?

Let’s talk.