Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Week 6: "The Ache" — Naming What's Wrong
Read the chapter "The Ache" in Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Previewing Week 6 of Present Over Perfect
Read 3 of 6 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 22-week guide when you’re ready.
Before anything can be healed, it has to be named — this chapter is Niequist's attempt to give language to a pain that many of us have felt but struggled to articulate.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Niequist describes an ache — a persistent, low-grade sense that something is wrong, even when everything looks fine. Do you recognize that ache in your own life? How long has it been there?
2.She argues that we often medicate the ache rather than diagnose it — with food, screens, busyness, or achievement. What are your most common forms of self-medication? What are you numbing?
3.Niequist suggests that the ache is not the enemy — it is a signal, a messenger. What do you think your own ache might be trying to tell you about your life?