Questions Are Where Growth Begins - Awareness as the main ingredient for better communication and deeper connections.

Awareness… as I have come to learn, is an almighty tool that can help us improve so many areas of our life, but most specifically our relationships. It’s nothing new, the Zen masters have known this for centuries… But in our modern world, where your attention is what literally everyone is after, it is even more important to realise how precious it is. To be aware, and to use it well! My goal for this podcast is to be an explorer, not an expert, and to explore how we humans connect. And my favourite way for exploring is through an honest conversation, just like this one. If you’re curious, join us for a conversation about what role awareness plays in our relationships and our communication, and to whatever journey it takes us from there. Together with River, we discuss: - The crucial role of awareness and attention in our communication - That the words we choose to use have a bigger impact than we think - What it is to react versus to act - The actual power of useful questions and how to dare to ask more - Lying to oneself - The explorer mindset over the expert mindset, and how that might serve you well in a conflict - And of course life lessons and navigating life challenges I have learned many things thanks to this conversation, but the two biggest ones I am taking away are these: - Assuming we know keeps us in one place, questions are the space where growth and understanding happens. - A truly wise person has no need to lie to themselves, thinking otherwise probably just means that you’re not as wise as you thought you were. It was an inspiring conversation, give it a listen and let me know what are you walking away with. Cannot wait to read your reflections! Connect with River here: https://wordsthatwork.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips Timestamps: 1:00 - About River 3:00 - Awareness, attention & questions 20:00 - Words and tones we use have an impact, intention, assumptions 32:55 - Lying to oneself & true intelligence 41:00 - Is there such a thing as a stupid question? 47:00 - How to get better at communicating 48:00 - Confrontation is never the right way, understanding is 01:03:00 - Life lessons, Life Challenge & Last Message