I have a question for you

This simple opposite direction question activated minds in a totally different way and because of this and the process of elimination, the answer was found and the atomic bomb was introduced to the world. All it had taken was someone toask a different question.

Questions rather than answers are what give us the quality of life that we live. The questions we ask others and ourselves causes the brain to search for replies that suits the question. The brain is an incredibly powerful tool.  A tool totally at your disposal and it springs into action when you ask a question. Even Kipling once said “I kept six honest hard-working men and they served me well.  Their names were –who, what, why, where, when and how”.

We ask ourselves questions every day, don’t we? You are doing it right now, aren’t you? You are probably asking yourself, do I do this and does it apply to me? Should I read further? How is this going to help me?

You have already probably answered a question to start reading this piece. When you saw it in your in-box you thought, “Should I read this?”, “Do I have the time?” “Will it be funny?” Well two out of three isn’t bad.

People are always looking for answers but do we realise that the answers we seek most often lie in the questions we ask. By asking a question we activate the brain to find solutions, answers or resolutions. Now the important part and this is vital – the quality of the questions will be directly proportionate to the quality of the answers you get back. If you ask yourself dis-empowering or negative questions the brain will obey and will find answers, based on the question. It will take into account your tone, intention and feelings and answer you based on the question and what you are looking for, not necessarily what is factual. It searches the database, the excuse files, the denial files, the victim mentality files, and then may even start to rationalise and realise. Don’t you just love the last two, rational — lies, and I love it when people want to tell me real — lies.

So when you ask yourself, “why am I so fat?” Your brain might get back to you with, “it’s because I am big boned”, or “it’s hereditary”, or “it’s just the way I am”, or “I can’t help it”, or “diets don’t work for me”, or “I am what I am”, or 1000 other excuses. Asking questions like this will do more harm than good and cannot help you. But by asking instead, “How can I eat healthier from now on?” Or “what physical activity can I do to feel better about myself”, or “what can I cut out of my diet from now on for me to be healthier?” or “what can I do or need to do to make myself healthier and lighter?” By rephrasing the questions and changing the focus, all sorts of magic begins to happen.

The brain is your servant, eager and willing to help you succeed and be happy. It is in the brain’s interest to help you stay healthy and to enjoy life because the brain goes along for the ride and it would like to live a long and happy life.

So what questions are you asking for 2012?

• What can I do next year to make myself happy and healthy?
• What can I do (notice the action) to make my relationship better?
• What can I do to move closer to God?
• What can I do to be able to spend more time with my family?
• What steps must I take to find balance in my life next year?
• What can I do? And what must I do? These are two very powerful questions. When you ask, what can I do, you qualify the, “do”, by the “can” and then knowing that you can, you do. And always remember success comes in cans, so go out and get yourself a six-pack.
• What skill do I want to learn next year?
• What course would I like to attend?
• What experiences would I like to have with my family in 2012?
• What are my values and my purpose?
• How can I live my purpose in my values every day?
• What systems or habits can I, must I, should I, put in place to make these changes happen?
• How do I step-by-step, day by day record and remember, plan and execute all of these, “do’s”?

The Answer!

Isn’t it funny how this works you have just asked (read) the above-mentioned questions and your brain has discoveredMy Action Diary for 2012 or as it is better known The MAD book for 2012.

For years I have been asking these questions unable to articulate, plan and record my entire year in a single book. So I asked myself, “If there is no action diary that suits my needs where can I find one?” The answer was, design one yourself and maybe, just maybe, there might be others who would need an all in one action diary, self-assessment tool, values finder and reminder, purpose planner, personal life changing project and tasks planner, project planner, meetings recorder, record keeper, important date vault, a daily eating plan, daily measurement keeper and appointment diary.

Some cool questions I am asking myself for 2012 – you may want to tweak them and try coming up with a few of your own

• How can I be naughtier in 2012?
• How can I make a bigger difference to more people?
• What can I do to make people laugh?
• Who can I help anonymously?
• How can I be more of a super dad?
• How can I be a better man?

…. and then in closing some funny questions to ponder

• If a cow laughed real hard, would milk come out of her nose?
• What’s another word for Thesaurus?
• Why do they call them apartments when they are all stuck together?
• Why doesn’t onomatopoeia sound like what it is?
• Why isn’t palindrome spelled the same way backwards?
• If Barbie is so popular why do you have to buy her friends?
• If you see a heat wave, should you wave back?
• Why is it called a TOOTH brush when you brush all of your teeth?
• Why do fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing?
• Why isn’t “phonetic” spelled the way it sounds?

Have a great day !

Gav Sharples