Conversation Kit: Question #4

If you asked me this one, I’d tell you about some of my favorite concerts.

Hello, and welcome back to Conversation Kit, where I share tried-and-true questions for meaningful conversation.

Here’s this week’s question: What do you find most beautiful about life?

Why I love this prompt: We pay a lot of attention to the ugly, difficult aspects of the world. It’s understandable because there are a lot of those things, and we should figure out what we can do to fix them. But to find inspiration and hope to persevere, we should also look for the beautiful things in life. What that means is different for everyone.

What I personally find most beautiful about life is being in a room full of strangers singing songs together. This is from a show Isaac and I went to last fall, and I still get chills when I watch this video.

I often ask this question in interviews, and many people talk about nature or their family. When I asked a woman named Janet this question, she admitted that she has a hard time stopping to appreciate the beautiful things in life.

I live across the street from a beautiful park… It's really pretty. Lots of trees, lots of paths… And I realize I am always so overwhelmed with "am I using my time wisely" and “am I doing the right thing” that I don't know how to relax, don't know how to play… And as I was walking around one of the parks, I kept thinking, you just need to look at the things… I don't embrace all the really beautiful things. In my prayers I always start with my gratitudes, but I realized that there's just so much beauty, not only in nature, but in a child's face and other things.

I need to stop focusing on "am I using my time right?" Because I realize that in a way it's sort of egocentric. You're thinking about yourself. "What am I doing? Is it what I'm supposed to be doing?" It seems like every minute has to be productive.

I appreciated her honesty because I’m also working to undo that “must be productive all the time” mindset. One of my goals this year is to pause for one minute each day and appreciate my surroundings. So far it has helped me to look outward so I’m less preoccupied with my own worries. As a result, I’m more present and at peace.

Try this question in your next conversation, and let me know how it goes.

Spontaneous conversations are great, but I also believe that recording those stories strengthens ties across generations. I started Story-Wright to apply my audio journalism skills to your personal history so that you can tell your story in your voice to your posterity. If you’re interested in scheduling an interview, click the button below.

Note: There’s a discount of $50 off your next interview if you refer a friend!