What Are Your Questions?
“I was really torn because I thought, ‘God, are you repeating yourself? Why are you going back to these nature questions?’ Then at a certain point, I realized those are just my questions. Every writer has a set of final questions that all their work, if you keep going, will come back to that.”
– Michael Pollan on Conversations with Tyler
A couple of years ago, I wrote that “I’m starting to understand that we’re all on a journey or quest. What is your quest? There’s no better place to look than at the questions we ask others and ourselves every day.” (read more) That’s a little bit like the quote above by Micheal Pollan. He discovered his quest while writing his second book, A Place of My Own when he realized that he was asking similar questions to his first book, Second Nature. After wrestling with the fact, Pollan accepted his quest. He’s engrossed by nature. It’s okay if every one of his books is an inquiry of the topic. If I were to judge by the New Your Times bestsellers list, of which all of Pollan’s books have made, pursuing that quest unquestionably served his career. Not to mention many people, including myself.
This makes me wonder if it’s in examining our questions that we get close to our quest? That is, what it is we’re supposed to be doing on this earth? When I take a moment to step back and examine my questions, I’m led to believe that they’re connected to what makes someone or something tick. As a kid, my grandfather gave me an erector set for Christmas. I never built anything with it because building stuff wasn’t my interest. Instead, I liked to take things apart. To see what’s inside. I still have a book from my childhood called The Ultimate Book of Cross-Sections. It’s full of illustrations presenting the dissections of boats, planes, trains, and automobiles. When Meg asked if I wanted to get rid of the book, I said no because I remain curious about the interiors of things. Though, these days, I’m more interested in people than jets and trucks. That’s why I love doing messaging workshops. It’s a time dedicated to looking inside the people I work with to find answers to questions like what makes you tick? My interest in the interior also explains why I love research and am pursuing a master’s degree to become a better design researcher. Mainly, I want to learn better techniques to discover what’s inside.
What questions do you keep going back to? If you don’t know yet, keep going. You don’t have to write books, like Pollan. If you’re a designer, like me, try to find a common thread throughout your work. If you’re an entrepreneur, beyond making money, examine what’s at the heart of your investments or pursuits. Maybe, you’re a mom or dad. What themes do you keep coming back to as you raise your children? Regardless of your position in life, moments of silence help. Consider a spiritual director or coach for assistance, while you're at it.