Imagine you're at a party and some item of clothing catches your eye. Ask yourself which question is more likely to spark an interesting conversation: "Is that Christian Louboutin?" or "I've been looking for a pair of Louboutin shoes. Where did you snag those?" Just think of all the fun places that kind of open-ended question could take you: not just your mutual love for spiky heels, but also self-esteem issues, the glass ceiling, or the terrible economy, just for a start.
The value of critical thinking, and the need for children to develop critical thinking skills, go beyond the connection to reading comprehension and enjoyment. The ability to think independently and creatively, to imagine other possibilities than the ones presented to you, and to distinguish fact from opinion are arguably the most important kinds of skills any citizen in a democracy can have. One of the best ways to nurture creative thinking skills in children is to ask "What If" questions. What If: I could see inside my brain. What would it look like? What If: I could put myself into this book I'm reading, or what if the characters came to life?
If you think creativity and business are oxymorons, think again -- creatively. Every human invention or business idea starts with imagining something that does not yet exist. One way to stimulate creative thinking in business or the workplace is to ask the Why? question. Why did productivity jump after the company installed wall-to-wall carpeting? The answers could lead to further ideas for increasing productivity. Brainstorming -- for example, writing down ideas, no matter how seemingly crazy, for 10 minutes without lifting your pen from the page -- is also an excellent creative thinking technique.
You can ask questions of your own mind or body to discover why you feel a certain way or to learn the source of your emotions or unwanted condition. If you have not done this before, it may feel awkward or silly, but remember that all discovery comes through creative questioning, and self-discovery is no different. Meditation is essentially a process of creative questioning. As you focus on each part of your body, you may feel tenseness at certain points. This becomes your opportunity to ask yourself what is going on there, and why you are feeling this resistance.