Great Answers Require Great Questions
by Daryl Daughtry, Publisher
– Listen to the Article Here
In order to get great answers for your life, doesn’t it make sense that you first need to ask great questions? Have you ever considered that the reason you don’t have the answers you’re looking for has a lot to do with the wrong questions that you’re asking yourself or others? Great answers require great questions.
Most people tend to ask themselves questions laced with self-pity wanting to know why this or that happened or didn’t happen to them as if they are being singled out or picked on as an innocent victim. When they see things working out for others, they get upset or jealous instead of wanting to know what those other people did differently to enjoy different outcomes. Instead of searching for solutions, they resort to the tired old blame game.
Inward-focused, self-analyzing questions always will produce the most meaningful and powerful answers. It’s when we take full ownership of our options and opportunities that the scope and quality of our questions change for the better. Solution-minded questions are powerful. Weak-minded questions are powerfully destructive.
When you ask a question of yourself, your brain goes to work to do what it is designed and loves to do – which is to find an answer! It’s like throwing a ball or a stick for a dog to retrieve. Your brain actually enjoys being asked questions.
Great questions have a way of instantly engaging your brain to think and when your brain is thinking, you discover answers to life’s many questions. Your brain contains an enormous amount of positive, life-changing insights, knowledge and answers and great questions allow you to siphon it out so you can use and benefit from it.
Questions control your focus – they instantly shift your thinking and emotions in any direction you choose. Let’s say for example you ask: “What is one thing I totally love about my life right now, and why do I love it?” Because you choose to find an answer to this question, you intentionally direct your thinking and emotions in a specific way, no matter what may have been on your mind previously or what you had been feeling before. Your focus shifts in the direction of your uplifting question.
Questions also give you clarity, which helps you eliminate fear. Asking and answering a great question about something is like adding a puzzle piece to a picture you want to see. The more pieces you discover through the questions you ask, the clearer the picture becomes. The more clarity you have, the less fear you have to act because your path is now clear! Let’s look at some great examples…
1 – Try asking productive questions that focus on your strengths, resources, and solutions, not on questions that focus on lack, weakness, and failure:
o Instead of asking: “Why can’t I get this right?”, ask: “How can I get this right?”
o Instead of asking: “What if this goes wrong?”, ask: “What if this turns out awesome?”
o Instead of asking: “Why am I so unmotivated?”, ask: “How can I take a small step forward?”
2 – Try using questions instead of negative statements:
o Instead of saying: “I can’t believe this happened”, ask: “Why did this happen and what can I learn?”
o Instead of saying: “This probably won’t work”, ask: “How can I make this work?”
o Instead of saying: “They just don’t understand me”, ask: “How can I make this clearer to them?”
3 – Try using “When/Then Statements” to trigger yourself to ask great questions when certain events occur in your life:
o When I need to make a decision, then I will ask myself: “What are my values in this area?”
o When I start a new day, then I will ask myself: “What are my priorities for today?”
o When I’m faced with a problem, then I will ask myself: “What are my options towards a solution?”
Great answers require great questions. The more you teach yourself to focus on solution-based questions, the more great answers will bless your life.
