Robert Fulghum asks, "What on earth have you done?"

Last Sunday I went to hear one of my favorite authors, Robert Fulghum (the author of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten), speak at my neighborhood bookstore (it also happens to be his neighborhood bookstore, since he lives nearby as well).

If you've ever had the opportunity to hear him speak, you'll know that he is personable, and dry, and really funny. He is also incredibly insightful, finding wonderful life lessons in the seemingly mundane.

One story he read from his newest book, What On Earth Have I Done?, took a look at four timeless questions mothers ask their children, and how those questions apply to our own lives. The questions (all asked with an exclamation point, of course) are:

What on earth have you done?
What in God's name are you doing?
What will you think of next?
Who do you think you are?

Take a look at this fun video from Fulghum's site for an explanation of the questions straight from the source.

How do the questions apply to our lives? With a bit of spin and editorializing on my part...

What on earth have I done?
Look back on your life to date. What on earth have you done? What impact has your life made - on yourself, on the people around you, or on the world? Has it been positive? Negative? Does it feel important?

What in God's name am I doing?
Look at what you're up to in your life right now. Are you happy with it? Does it feel meaningful? When you ask the first question about it (What on earth have you done?) a year from now, how will you feel about it?

What will I think of next?
Regardless of your answers to the first two, the future is rich with potential. Where do you want it to take you? Why?

Who do I think I am?
As Fulghum sees it, your answers to the first three will give you the answer to this last question.

From a M.A.P. Making perspective, that last question - who do you think you are? - is incredibly important. Whether we're talking about doing personally meaningful, passion-filled work in the world, or showing up authentically in everything you do, it all starts with knowing who you are, what energizes you, what your values are, and what you value.

So who do you think you are? And what will you think of next?

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Comments

[Heather Mundell]

Curt, I love this new blog! I look forward to keeping up with it.

Thanks for the Robert Fulghum questions to ponder - I like how they are about both doing and being.

[Curt Rosengren]

Thanks Heather. :-) Great to have you here.

[Herman Najoli]

Curt, thanks for sharing. ILast night I watched the number one movie in America, The Game Plan, and this post makes me think of that. It seems to me that the answer to this question will enable us to develop a game plan for our daily lives. The game plan that one develops for her life determines who she becomes permanently.

[Michael Werner]

Hey Curt:

Glad to hear about Fulghum's latest; have been a fan since Kindergarten days. Also, great to see that you're sharing Priscilla's list.

[Curt Rosengren]

Herman, good way of looking at it. I would take it a step further even and say that knowing the answer not only lets us develop a game plan, it helps us figure out what game we want to play to begin with.

Thanks for swinging by Michael. Glad to have you here.