Most of the great leaders and successful business people in the world were looked up to and admired because they attained something many aspire to and maybe never achieve. I believe it is because they were good at asking questions! Inventors would never invent things if they didn’t ask questions.
A simple example is the wheel. I can imagine two Neanderthals sitting around thinking, “gee I would love to visit Ugh, but he lives so far away.” And his friend says to him, “it wouldn’t be so bad if we had something to get us to his place quicker!” They had already tried riding the backs of dinosaurs and that didn’t’ work. Have you ever tried to tell a dinosaur where to go? Those big lugs don’t like taking orders from anyone!
Hence the question, what could we invent to get us from point A to point B in faster and safer? Some sort of transportation device is my guess. And instead of riding on the back of a dinosaur, what if he pulls us in our new contraption? Oh, but that won’t work! It will just drag along the ground and get all beat up. More questions… and finally – Voila! THE WHEEL….
Think about it… children ask questions ALL THE TIME! If they didn’t how would they ever learn anything? And when they ask a question it is because they genuinely want to know the answer.
What was the last question you asked, about business, about a person, about your health, about how to get somewhere, about life itself? Did the answer somehow console you or give you peace of mind? Did it clarify something for you? Did it help you find something you were looking for? Did it solve a problem, challenge or riddle?
Now think about a question you had and didn’t ask? Did it change something for you? Or not?
What would happen if inventors, artists, business people, mothers, fathers, or children never asked questions?
Change never happens if questions are not asked. So my tip for the day is to ASK Questions! Asking Questions is one of the secrets to success… We need to ask questions, yes! Asking others and asking ourselves, too. Sometimes our inner guidance is chomping at the bit to give us the answers that we need.
Listening for the answers is another (secret to success, that is). When you ask the questions make sure you LISTEN for the answer. Don’t let it fall on deaf ears.