“When the going gets rough, turn to inquiry and wonder”
“When the going gets rough, turn to inquiry and wonder”, is a guideline taught by Parker Palmer as one of many guidelines that promote a “circle of trust.”[1]. Trust is an important word for most of us. As I reflect on myself and this journey into the Doctorate world, I recognize the layers of trust that were needed to get here, to stay here in this work and trust the outcomes I hope my research will bring about. I can relate to a lot of the posts already put out on this blog site, THIS IS OVERWHELMING AND DISORIENTING! When it comes down to it, my completing this program is based on whether or not I trust myself.
Reading, note-taking and writing are my Achilles heel. I love to get lost in a story, that is the reading I am comfortable with, reading for learning…I can squeeze by, but reading involving critical thinking…forget it. My intelligence is in people and my gut…I trust my intuition, but good ol’ book learnin’ is not my strength. The same goes for writing, if you ask my English Major husband, he’d tell you I write like I speak, not formal. Starting this semester looking at the book list is daunting to this non-reader, and where I’m shaken is in my weakness to read critically. I must trust myself, saying it again (worth repeating…right?)
Where I need improvement is on how to read and write with critical thinking skills. Adler and Van Doren wrote in reference to “Discovering the Author’s Intentions”, “rule 4: Find Out What the author’s Problems were” [2] is a great way for me to start honing these skills. What the Authors NPO is a great exercise that speaks directly into my research manifesto, which happens to be the title of this essay: “When the going gets rough (or I could say, when the reading and writing gets rough), turn to inquiry and wonder”. This will take me out of my own assumptions and points of view, and turn toward the other in a non-judgmental way. Dr. Paul Richard utilizes this in his book on critical thinking by giving the reader “Questions Utilizing Elements of Thought” [3] as a framework for reading and thinking critically.
In recognizing my own deficiencies in reading and writing and trusting myself and my authority and voice, I recognize also, that not only is critical thinking and turning to inquiry and wonder a useful way to look at the world around me, it may most importantly be a way to look and understand myself. Having the ability to stop the narrative (one I’ve repeated many times this week) that this work is going to be too hard, and what was I thinking in attempting a doctorate, by turning the inquiry and wonder onto myself: Why am I feeling this way? What is it specifically that is challenging me in this moment, etc. I can acknowledge them and move through them, but also transform them into a new way of being and understanding myself as a Doctorate student! What a successful place that could (will) be!
[1] Palmer, Parker J. 2004. A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life. ( California: Jossey-Bass, 2008), 71.
[2] Adler, Mortimer J. and Van Doren, Charles. How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading. (Rev. ed. New York: Simon & Schuster 2014), 92.
Richard Paul and Linda Elder, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools. (London, UK: Rowan & Littlefield, 2020), 5.
About the Author
Jana Dluehosh
Jana serves as a Spiritual Care Supervisor for Signature Hospice in Portland, OR. She chairs the corporate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging committee as well as presents and consults with chronically ill patients on addressing Quality of Life versus and alongside Medical treatment. She has trained as a World Religions and Enneagram Spiritual Director through an Anam Cara apprenticeship through the Sacred Art of Living center in Bend, OR. Jana utilizes a Celtic Spirituality approach toward life as a way to find common ground with diverse populations and faith traditions. She has mentored nursing students for several years at the University of Portland in a class called Theological Perspectives on Suffering and Death, and has taught in the Graduate Counseling program at Portland Seminary in the Trauma Certificate program on Grief.13 responses to ““When the going gets rough, turn to inquiry and wonder””
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Your self-reflection questions near the end of your essay are quite helpful. You asked, “Why am I feeling this way,” and “What is it specifically challenging me in this moment…” These are absolutely questions I need to ask myself (I know you are asking these to break a particular narrative in your own mind). In my case, I often read to simply regurgitate information. But what hurdle do I need to clear in order to move from information-gathering to understanding? What seems to be causing me to remain stuck in old habits of reading uncritically? The questions you have asked, not unlike the questions you referred to in Paul and Elders work (“Questions Using the Elements of Thought”), are critical in breaking unhelpful and limited approaches to reading and writing.
Thanks for the feedback Travis. I also ask myself those questions for the reading as well.
Thanks for being vulnerable enough to share what we’re all thinking. I resonate with the need to trust ourselves. Do I trust that I am capable of completing this doctorate? Do I trust that my ideas are worthy of being heard? Do I trust that the problem I’ve identified in my NPO is actually a problem (especially when I receive pushback from those I would hope to serve)? Do I trust that this first blog post that I’ve put out there for you all to see is “good enough” (had a long internal conversation about that one before hitting publish, anybody else?). I’m grateful to be doing this with such a supportive community of learners!
Kim, I too paused before hitting publish. Thank you for acknowledging the vulnerability and for normalizing my experience. Imposter syndrome is real!
“When the going gets rough, turn to inquiry and wonder” is SUCH a helpful reminder. Thank you for reminding me to, as Ted Lasso says, “get curious” rather than judgmental about my struggles and overwhelm in this program and in life in general.
Don’t even get me started on TED LASSO.
If there was an entire doctoral program on the Theology of Ted Lasso, I’d be the first to enroll.
🙂
I’d join you on that research John! I love Ted Lasso.
Kally, thanks for the feedback. I find myself yelling to my highly competitive 10 year old who I can tell is dwelling on a bad move or play to “Be a Goldfish”! Good to know there are other Ted Lasso fans out there!
Inquiry and wonder. Wow. I should tattoo those words on each forearm so I remember them every time I’m tempted to complain or despair…not just about this program, but anything!
I really think this is key, Jana. Things like inquiry, wonder, forward thinking, optimism, abundance mindset—those things are joy producers even in the fire. Thanks for the reminder!
Finally, based on this post, you have great critical thinking and writing skills. And I wouldn’t worry about writing like you talk; I think that’s a feature, not a bug. You can always ‘clean it up’ but I think it’s much easier to read something written in a clear and critical, but colloquial, style than writing that’s too dense, overly formal, and full of jargon. Just my 2-cents, but hope it’s helpful.
Thanks Tim…imposter syndrome. I think my husbands comments come out to me in academic moments because we met in Seminary and our approach to academics, reading and writing are polar opposites. We had to learn for the sake of our relationship that I needed to be very specific on what type of editing I needed from him. I needed him to edit grammatically, not content:). I’ve learned to trust my voice more the older I get, so the best is yet to come?
Thank you for your intellectual courage and humility, as defined by Linda Elder as “sharing the consciousness of your own limits of knowledge and the need to face and address ideas, beliefs or viewpoints toward which one has strong negative emotions.” (Elder 2020, 24). It is evident in your post.
Many of us are experiencing the same feelings. As you consider where you are today, the steps to this place in your life, may inquiry and wonder of what is to come bring your joy.
Jana, you are one of my trusted circle. The support and understanding you give me in our peer group testify to that. If you can support others and me, it’s because you have sufficient confidence and competencies in yourself. Therefore I believe you can go through this doctoral program. You have enormous potential to achieve it, Jana.
I also thank you for quoting and writing about recognizing the intent of the author of the book to find and understand the main idea of an article. I often read books by bringing and applying my understanding and prejudice rather than seeking out and understanding the author’s voice. Thanks for that, Jana!
Appreciate your vulnerability Jana. It reminded me of Brene Brown’s very honest TED talk. You’ve got people in the arena with you who are feeling a lot of the same things. We are all growing and are also our own worst critics. You’re post was refreshing, thanks for sharing.