I recently met up with a friend who is near and dear to my heart. We are both twenty-six, but feels like we’ve been through a lifetime of heartache. We had an honest conversation about life – what we thought it would be like at this age, where we are currently at, and where we want to go. As she was detailing some of the struggles she has gone through, they sounded eerily similar to mine. It was nice to get that validation and reassurance that everything will be okay.
At the end of our conversation, she handed me a book called The Seven Primal Questions by Mike Foster. There is an assessment that goes along with the book which I took before sitting down to dive into it. It tells you what your primal question is. What is the hidden force that drives the decisions you make and how can you use it to better your communication in relationships, friendships, and at work? The seven questions are:
- Am I safe?
- Am I secure?
- Am I loved?
- Am I wanted?
- Am I successful?
- Am I good enough?
- Do I have a purpose?
My primal question was number seven: Do I have a purpose? My highest emotional need is to be part of something bigger than myself. Q7s have visions to make life better for everyone and encourage others to dream big. If I don’t get this question answered, then I enter what Foster calls “the scramble.” I feel insignificant. On the other hand, my primal gift is inspiring others to discover their great purpose. Foster says that Q7s “push people to think bigger, take risks, and get out of their comfort zones.”
While I do feel like I embody a mix of all the primal questions and it is possible to have multiple, Q7 seems pretty accurate for me. I mean, that’s why I do this blog right? My purpose is to inspire action, create awareness for chronic illness, share my story in the hopes that it helps someone else. This blog and this community makes me feel fulfilled. Without out, I wouldn’t feel like I am doing everything I could to make a difference.
I highly recommend this book to everyone! It opened up my mind to help me understand why I am the way I am and why I apply so much significance to certain things. I will definitely apply it in my personal and professional life. I even gained insight about other people that I have broken relationships with. As Foster mentions in his book, “if nothing changes in your actions, nothing changes. You’ll know more, but you won’t become more.”
If you are interested, you can take the assessment here and order the book online. You won’t regret it.
Turning Wellness into a Lifestyle 