Steve, nice post.
I ask the same sorts of questions to get the "truth" about something I want. I also think that our core values must be in alignment with who we are before we successfully complete this exercise. In my opinion, if core values aren't in alignment with who you are then it's difficult to participate in this type of exercise.
In my own experience I've been able to ask the question, "Is this me?" or "Is this who I really am?" and come up with the appropriate answer confidently and calmly. It wasn't always this way. In the past I wasn't able to
trust myself to come up with the right answer. I remember reading self-help books and on many occassions I hadn't come up with clear answers. It got me frustrated and I thought the whole self-improvement thing was crap.
It wasn't until I began to
trust myself that I was able to answer these questions calmly and confidently. In my opinion, trust in your self is the gateway to making decisions.
Stephen Martile
Stephen Martile — Personal Development with NLP