A well-worded and well-timed question can lead to stimulating reflection and wonderful talks between friends. Rather than being buried in a smart phone, why not ask each other some of these great questions?

Margarita Tartakovsky, an associate editor for the World of Psychology web page, recently shared these questions in an article entitled, 45 Conversation Starters to Bolster Your Bond with Your Friends and Family. She also quoted Garry Poole, the author of The Complete Book of Questions, who reminds us that –

“There is something powerful about questions that force you to think, look within yourself, examine your heart, and search for answers. And it’s in the process of responding to those questions that you often make discoveries about yourself — things you never even realized before.”

Speaking of good friends and coffee, Jim Roy and Tom Amato begin the day early at the Roasting Company.

Ask a friend or loved one out for coffee and start asking!

1.   What books have you read that’ve had a big influence on you?
2.   What goals have you recently set for yourself? How are you doing with these goals so far?
3.   What strange habit do you have?
4.   What do you think is your best quality?
5.   What fear would you like to overcome?
6.   What person, dead or alive, do you wish you could be more like?
7.   Growing up, what was your favorite children’s story or fairy tale?
8.   What’s your favorite poem or saying?
9.   What’s one of your greatest accomplishments?
10. What was your favorite subject in school?
11. How have your priorities changed over time?
12. Who’s had the biggest influence on you?
13. Have you ever helped a complete stranger? How?
14. What’s your earliest childhood memory?
15. What nightmare woke you up in a panic?
16. What memorable lesson did you learn from your parents?
17. If you could travel back in time, what year would you visit?
18. If you could spend an hour doing anything, what would it be?
19. If you could visit with any person in history, who would it be?
20. If you could go anywhere for dinner tomorrow, where would you go?
21. If you could turn into any animal, which one would you be?
22. If you could write a bestselling book, what would it be about?
23. If you were a painter, what picture would you paint first?
24. What does success mean to you?
25. Why are some people cruel and unkind?
26. What does it mean when two people have chemistry?
27. What do you think is the most significant event in the history of the human race?
28. What is the meaning of life?
29. What’s one thing you know for sure?
30. What scares you the most about the future?
31.  What would make you totally content right now?
32. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
33. What lesson has failure taught you?
34. How do you deal with doubt?
35. When was the last time you cried?
36. What stresses you out?
37. What was the greatest day of your life?
38. Why do you think there are so many religions in the world?
39. What is your definition of a miracle?
40. When do you pray? How often? What motivates you to pray?
41.  When do you feel most alone?
42. Do you believe the human soul is eternal?
43. What’s something about you that no one knows?
44. What fills up your heart to bursting level?
45. What do you look forward to?

A Reality Therapist is not the only one who can tap into the power of a good question. Since people are internally motivated, trying to externally coerce them is counterproductive. Instead, the right question can invite a person to internally investigate and explore and ultimately make new choices.

For those of you who have experienced Glasser training or the Soul Shaper workshops, consider adding these 45 questions to your WDEP collection of problem-solving questions.

PS – As some of you share more great questions with us in the comment section, I am adding them here –

From Suzy Hallock-Bannigan
Do you ever choose to use music to change your mood? Tell me about a time…
Are there pieces of music over your lifetime that remain special? If so, what are they?
Which genre of music are you inclined to access? Why— do you suppose?
Do you have any special memories about music?

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