How well do you know yourself? What is your purpose? Finding clarity is not always easy and as life changes your purpose may adjust with it. Sometimes it takes big life events to cause you to pause and take inventory, but why wait? Be proactive. I have had the privilege of interviewing a lot of amazing people over the years but what has moved me the most is the impact the experience has had on me and the person I am interviewing. I would explain it as cathartic. Greater awareness, understanding, clarity, and gratitude are other emotions that show up without exception. That said, I wanted to share my interview template with you and I invite you to pause and take the time to answer the questions that resonate with you.
The below questions are intended to invite you to think about your life and what is important to you. Read through the list and consider coping and pasting them into a word document and answer them over a period of time. There is no rush, take all the time you need. I would also encourage you to consider interviewing a friend or family member using these same questions. If you experience what I feel when I interview people, you will be inspired. After all, developing deeper relationships requires conversation, time and gaining a greater understanding the other person. Being a witness to your own story and to those that you care about is a wonderful gift to experience.
“Know yourself and your path to your purpose will become clear.”
“Know another person and life is magnified because you can share experiences with a greater sense of connection and understanding.”
What were the greatest lessons you learned growing up in your family?
What makes you happy or what does happiness mean to you?
Explain what happiness feels like?
What do you enjoy doing and why?
What does healthy mean to you?
What is your favorite word and why?
What is the most powerful force on the planet and why?
Share your favorite quote and why it is your favorite.
Who do you most admire and why?
What are 1 to 3 things in which you are grateful and why?
What has enriched or changed your life the most and why?
What are you most proud of and why?
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your life, how did you overcome it and what lessons(s) did you learn?
What causes you stress and how do you deal with it?
What do you do to take care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually?
What advice would you give someone who is struggling to find their purpose?
What advice would you give someone who is stuck in a bad situation?
If you know… What is your life’s purpose and what helped you find it? If you don’t know, what do you think would help you find it?
If you had to write a purpose statement for your life what would it be?
If you had to choose the three most important qualities that you believe make-up the character of a person what would they be?
Describe in one or a few words what you think has helped you most in life and explain why?
What drives your life decisions?
What empowers you to take action?
I hope this exercise of self-study has given you greater insight into the things that are important to you and with that, more clarity to live life with greater intention.
My mom passed away Feb. 4th 2019 and I wish I would have asked her these questions. We were fortunate to have a great relationship and I knew some of the answers but not all of them. Don’t miss an opportunity to interview someone you love. Life is short… spend time getting to know them and don’t put off tomorrow what you can and want do today!
Learn how EHA is empowering individuals, leaders, teams, and organizations to THRIVE.