I love it when life continues to make me think – how day to day experiences challenge and inspire me – and that’s what happened during my time in Scotland this past week – I was challenged to – “Ask questions – and not make assumptions”.

For – while I was away – I observed a wonderful sight two or three times every day – it was of lots of geese – in what I would have called – ‘gaggles’ – but in fact found out are called ‘skeins’ – ‘teams’ – or ‘wedges’ – flying overhead – accompanied by loud honking.

The first time this happened I assumed that these geese were migrating to other countries – and so I decided to find out where they were going – only to realise that in fact – they were arriving here!

I love how I can access the internet to ask my questions – and it was fascinating to gain so much information about these geese – and to be able to observe their pattern of behaviour – as they flew to and fro – from their feeding grounds in the daytime – and to their roosting places in the evening.

It caused me to recognise just how much I often ‘assume’ so much in life – and don’t even bother to ask any questions – and in so doing I can actually miss out.

“Life is filled with unanswered questions – but it is the courage to seek those answers – that continues to give meaning to life”

I have been challenged – on my life’s journey in recent months – to dare to ask many questions – and – it’s true that this is not always easy – and calls for courage.

As I have pondered on how important it is to ask the questions – rather than jump to assumptions – I see how vital this can be – when it concerns others – and came across this quote – “Before you assume – learn the facts – before you judge – understand – ‘why’ – before you hurt someone – feel – before you speak – think”.

It really is so easy to assume I know all the facts – as I did with the geese – and to judge others – without stopping to think about the ‘whys’ in their lives. I need to learn to ‘feel’ – to be sensitive – before I hurt someone – and definitely ‘think’ – before I speak.

It is becoming far more important to me – to ‘ask the questions’ – as I journey through life – realising that there is still so much for me to learn – both about myself – and about others – but – I never want to get to the place where I am afraid to ask – but want to do as this quote I came across advises – “Don’t be afraid of the answers – be afraid of not asking the questions”.

The questions I ask may not always be the right ones – I may offend others by my asking – it might feel scary even asking them -and I am so grateful for all who walk alongside as I do so. But – I would certainly rather have an open mind – and continue to seek to learn – asking ‘why’ – than simply ‘assume’ that I know.

Blessings – Lois