This passage from Rilke has been a heplful companion as I face big and small questions in my life, which often overwhelm me (as I describe in this poem).

His invitation to “love the questions themselves” is opposite my tendency to treat questions as adversaries, as beasts to wrestle into submission. I hear Rilke urging us to see the questions in our life as gifts, rather than assaults.

To me, this mindshift holds a key to enjoying our freedom — our life — rather than being burdened by it, so to me, its potential for impact could hardly be greater.

Below is a recording of me reading it and the actual text.

Rilke - love the questions themselves copy.m4a