March 10, 2009

Ask Questions and You Shall Receive   What do the following all have in common?   What is not working in my life right now? How can I best use my time at this moment? What can I be happy about today? How can I best solve this problem?   The answer:  They are all questions!   Ask a question and you shall receive. Receive what?  Answers!   However, you must ask good questions if you want a good answer.    "Quality questions create a quality life," said Anthony Robbins.  "Businesses succeed when those who make the decisions that control their destiny ask the right questions about markets or strategies or product lines.  Relationships flourish when people ask the right questions about where potential conflicts exist and how to support each other instead of tearing each other down," Robbins continued.   These quality questions, especially those asked when you face and then acknowledge a problem, will give you the answers to get the results you want to achieve.  You will solve your problem...    Because, you will change your mental state to one of power, thereby allowing you to reign in the resources you need to conquer the problem.   Robbins suggests these 5 Problem-Solving Questions to ask:   What is great about this problem?  Every problem is an opportunity; you already know that. What is not perfect yet?  Remember, though: "good enough is good enough". What am I willing to do to make it the way I want it?  Make a commitment. What am I willing to no longer do in order to make it the way I want it? Stop doing the same old thing and getting the same old results. How can I enjoy the process while I do what is necessary to make it the way I want it?  Make problem solving fun!   The time is now.  You know what the problem is. So, go ahead and ask the questions. Then ask yourself the ultimate question:  What is my next action step? Receive the answer and act on it.     "He who asks questions cannot avoid the answers."            CameroonProverb   "A major stimulant to creative thinking is focused questions.  There is something about a well-worded question that often penetrates to the heart of the matter and triggers new ideas and insights."             Brian Tracy   "He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever."             Chinese proverb   "If you ask the wrong question, of course, you get the wrong answer.  We find in design it's much more important and difficult to ask the right question.  Once you do that, the right answer becomes obvious."             Amory Lovins       For me, the right question to ask now is how to reign in the five or so high priority tasks I must accomplish within the next few months.  (I didn't write about focus last week for no particular reason!)  So, focus it is and continuing to ask the right questions which will get me to completion.   Home sweet home! It is so good to be home for a few weeks, after being away at the Yankee, the SCN cruise to Mexico, the Chicago Mid-Winter meeting, and just last week to the American Academy of Dental Practice Administration meeting in Austin, TX. That was a first for me, an empowering meeting, with both personal and professional development seminars.  Several of my friends and colleagues were in attendance and it was great to catch up with old friends and also meet new ones.   Have a fantastic week and join me in asking quality questions.   Stephanie       We grow by "word-of-email" so please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone whom you think might benefit from and enjoy it. Thanks so much! Contact Us: stephanie@7steps2abalancedlife.com