Skip to content

Provoke Contemplation

If you want to talk to somebody, talk in such a way that your statement provokes contemplation instead of an argument.

Bill Fox
Bill Fox
3 min read
Provoke Contemplation
If you want to talk to somebody, talk in such a way that your statement provokes contemplation instead of an argument, a challenge, or a useless debate. Let this very conversation take you to the Truth.
— Gurumayi Chidvilasananda

Open Up a Deeper Dimension (part 2)

I was uneasy that last week's newsletter on opening up a deeper dimension was incomplete.  However, everything I started to add to it wouldn't move forward.

I hadn't encountered this situation before, so I didn't want to force it. It's been my practice to allow the newsletter to write itself.

Only after I sent the newsletter did I realize what was missing. It's my intention and important to always share a personal experience with everything I write about in this forum.

Only after sending the newsletter did I realize what I had overlooked:

If you want to talk to somebody, talk in such a way that your statement provokes contemplation instead of an argument, a challenge, or a useless debate. Let this very conversation take you to the Truth.

This quote from Gurumayi Chidvilasananda is the unseen power behind questions that prompt people to pause before answering.

Properly framed questions provoke contemplation creating a space between the words that result in surprising and unexpected new answers from beyond the mind.

It's also helpful to create a space of non-judgment to allow those answers to appear. That can start with a simple intention to create this space.

I also believe that if you engage in conversations of this nature, this one small step will deepen or even start your inner journey and lead you to what's next.

This has been my experience from day one. Make a commitment to engage in conversations in a way that provokes contemplation.

Bringing contemplation to everyday conversations

More and more, I've sought to bring contemplation to my everyday conversations and especially in social media interactions.

There is no lack of issues and conversations in the world today that draw people into defending their own positions as the only truth.

In my interview with Dianne Collins and her book, Do You Quantum Think, Dianne stresses the importance of distinguishing between context and content.

She says that most of the time, we’re in content-oriented conversations, discussing my way vs. yours. But when we step back and look at things from a bigger perspective, this allows us to think from possibility.

In The Future of the Workplace, Dianne shared this simple example:

Let’s say your team is trying to decide on a business model to implement. You can see two options in front of you. Yet, neither of those business models will lead to the accomplishment of the desired goal. You can pose a new question and something new will open up.

Here are several recent examples where I have endeavored to provoke contemplation instead of an argument in social media. I invite you to join the conversation.

I welcome your ideas and participation!

I wish you all the happiest holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

— Bill

P. S. The Space Beyond Boundaries cards and Miro board offer an excellent vehicle for provoking new and boundary-breaking solutions with your team, organization, or clients. Get the Miro board for free when you sign up for Sponsor Membership or order the Miro board or cards separately from our Products page.

The idea is when you can make this distinction between the context of the conversation and the content of the conversation, then you can step back, and you will create a space for new possibilities.
— Dianne Collins, Do You Quantum Think?

Dialogue

Bill Fox

Building Forward Thinking Minds, Leaders, and Workplaces from the Inside Out.

Comments


Related Posts

Members Public

Beyond Boundaries: The Magic of Merged Minds

Drawing inspiration from Jay Abraham, I explore the necessity of combining diverse expertise in our interconnected world.

Beyond Boundaries: The Magic of Merged Minds
Members Public

Beyond Your Point

Dialogue is not about making my point clear; it is about creating a space where people can think together, listen together, and learn together, beyond my point and beyond your point. — David Bohm David Bohm, a renowned physicist and philosopher, had many insightful thoughts on dialogue and communication. One of

Beyond Your Point
Members Public

Ask More Empowering Questions

Your mind has what you might call an automatic search function, which means that when you ask yourself a question, your mind automatically begins to search for an answer. — Noah St. John, The Secret Code of Success Why is the sky blue? What just happened? Did your mind automatically start

Ask More Empowering Questions