In some indigenous practices, if you came to a Medicine Man complaining of feeling disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask you one of these four questions.
When did you stop dancing?
When did you stop singing?
When did you stop being enchanted by stories?
When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence?
These activities come so naturally to children, but somewhere along the way, we lose our spontaneity to engage in these activities, allowing ourselves to get caught up in the seriousness and the pressure of life.
Ask yourself these four questions.
If we can remember why and when we decided to stop participating in these simple gifts of life, we can begin to work out how to change our behaviour or begin to heal why we have left them behind.
Hopefully these questions were a gentle reminder to try them again!
LIVING IN THIS MOMENT 
Thanks for the reminder. I needed that today.
Thankyou Elizabeth, I always start laughing when I dance with my kids or just for fun, so it must be good for our soul!
These dancing kids made me smile and I love this quote. The only one I don’t do is dance, I have two left feet. But if your lucky, you might catch me skipping in the rain Karen. Kath
You must dance Kath, even in the privacy of your home with your favourite music! Skipping in the rain is just as good too!
I dance and my children laugh, so I kill two birds with one stone.
Ha Yes perfect!
Boogie – yeah! – tell me another – peace…
Sound like a great mantra for living 🙂
Val x
Love your attitude Val !
Karen
Thank you for a wonderful post. Beautifully poignant questions. It’s the simplicity and yet the profundity that makes them so wise and profoundly insightful.
Yes I agree, thank-you Don. I have never thought to ask such insightful questions during my counselling sessions! Maybe I should start.
Karen
I’ve been thinking deeply about these questions and I was taken back to a time in my life when I wished that someone had asked me the same. But then I’ve also wondered whether I would have been ready for questions like this. Just been pondering on the relationship between questions and levels of consciousness at the time of them being asked. Just a thought. 🙂 Again thanks for a marvellous post.
Yes I think you are so right. So often it is about when we are ready to receive a question or a challenge although in hindsight, I sometimes believe that maybe I have planted a seed and along the journey they may remember those questions or challenging words and say “Oh now I understand or now I can see.” We may never know how it changes their life.
So true. We can’t stop receiving or planting seeds because of levels of consciousness. Just knowing these levels are there, adds, I suppose, to the level of empathy.
dancing and singing and walking in the woods! I love stories!! Beautiful post!
Well I think you have the formula to living life in freedom!
There ia a story I know of, about explorers who discovered an island. And at the highest point of the island they found a village, completely walled in. There the children laughed and played, without a care.
The explorers said: you have separated yourself from experiencing a world that is outside these walls. So, on your behalf we will remove these walls and free you to see what you are missing.
After thaking down the walls the exploreres were on their way.
Some time later the explorers returned to see how the villagers were enjoying their new freedom. What they found were the once happy children hudled in the farthest corner, frightened that they would fall off the now exposed cliff.
Certain walls, like certain laws are meant to protect from worldly dangers. In removng them, we find we have enslaved rather than freed. Enslaved by the fears that hinder our joy.
-Alan
Thankyou Alan, a perfect example of what we do and unfortunately, this story is all too familiar in indigenous cultures.
They have so much to teach us about life and their understanding of freedom, which is much more likely to free us than the other way around.
Karen
I do appreciate simple questions that bring such joy. Thank you.
Thanks eM they are amazing questions and they do bring us such natural joy!
Karen, I too thank you for the reminder. Life can suck the joy, the spontaneity right out of you. Bless you for this. I am going to take back my inner child and sing and dance once again. (((HUGS))) Amy
Thankyou Amy, thats great. Sometimes it does take some effort to connect back to our inner child, and then I remember how much fun it is to dance and sing.
Karen
“Dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.” – William W Purkey Oh does this sum it UP!
I am so glad you found my blog so I could read your page….You are such a gift!
Heart to heart Robyn
Thankyou so much! I thought your blog was great as well. I appreciate your comment.
Karen