#Microblog Monday 558: Thought Questions
Not sure what #MicroblogMondays is? Read the inaugural post which explains the idea and how you can participate too.
*******
I learned recently about naikan, which is a self-reflection activity meant to reveal that you are “someone who has received endless, unearned kindness.” I think the unearned part is key.
You think of a person or entity (e.g., your workplace or a community) and ask yourself three questions:
- What have I received from them?
- What have I given to them?
- What troubles or difficulties have I caused them?
The Wikipedia page points out why you skip the potential fourth question, which is an inverse of the third question.
It’s a very specific way of feeling gratitude in a chaotic world. It’s harder than it looks on the screen, especially when you’re trying to quiet your mind. Try it.
*******
Are you also doing #MicroblogMondays? Add your link below. The list will be open until Tuesday morning. Link to the post itself, not your blog URL. (Don’t know what that means? Please read the three rules on this post to understand the difference between a permalink to a post and a blog’s main URL.) Only personal blogs can be added to the list. I will remove any posts connected to businesses or sponsored posts.
1 comment
Oh, I like this. It reminds me of “Lollipop moments” from a TEDx Talk by that name, about how we have all made a tremendous impact on others but didn’t know it, and how lovely it is to think on that. Which now that I type it out is sort of the reverse, except you think about someone who made an impact on you and then you go find that person and let them know the light they gave. I guess it’s related? My brain is mush from the day.