• The sight of an airplane or a train is a cue for me to practice questing.

• Whenever I travel from one time zone into another, I am reminded of the need to keep my questing spirit alive.

• When I encounter someone who believes he or she has all the answers, I vow to honor all the questions.

• Blessed is the Great Host who fills our lives with the adventure of questing.

This breath prayer is suggested by the death song of the Kokut Indians.

The quest is one of the most common experiences in the realm of imagination. This exercise was created by Gerald Epstein of New York, New York.

Breathe out three times. See yourself turning a globe in your hand and putting your finger on one spot. This is the place where you need to go on your quest. Know what your intention is for undertaking this journey.

Breathe out three times. See yourself as a knight finding your way to this place. Arriving at your destination, discover what gift is there for you. If it is a meeting with a being, ask for the lesson you are to bring back from this journey. If the gift is an object, examine it carefully and decide whether you will put it back or take it with you, knowing its significance to you.

Breathe out one time. See yourself returning triumphantly to your home. How do you look and feel?

Breathe out again and open your eyes.

When Isido Rabi, the 1944 Nobel Prize winner in physics, was interviewed about his achievements, he said he owed it all to his mother. "When we got out of school, all the mothers would ask their children what they had learned that day. My mother would inquire instead, 'What did you ask today in class?' "
— Rabbi Nilton Bonder in Yiddishe Kop

To Practice This Thought: Take time to really see what is right in front of you.

Make a pilgrimage to a sacred site. Almost every community has places that have been honored for their spiritual significance, so if you cannot afford to go far, you can still engage in this type of questing. To make your pilgrimage more meaningful, choose an intention for your journey: what you hope to discover, learn, or receive. Research the history of the site and the rituals performed by pilgrims there. During your trip, write letters or keep a journal to record your impressions. Take photographs, make sketches, save postcards and mementos to use to spark memories of your experiences in years to come.

• Phil Cousineau in The Art of Pilgrimage suggests choosing a theme for your journey.

• Douglas V. Steere in Dimensions of Prayer suggests you make a pilgrimage in your own neighborhood.

• Helen Curry in The Way of the Labyrinth outlines a three-part process for a walking meditation.

• Richard Rohr in Everything Belongs salutes questions as an essential part of faith.

• Rabbi Lawrence Kushner in The Book of Miracles asserts that part of the great adventure of life is asking questions.