Life Training is All About Asking Questions

Curious minds contribute in every individual's holistic development. The moment a person starts asking questions, you will find out how much that person knows, don't know, or wanted to know. Learn to coach life by asking questions.  It is a kind of building skills.  It’s a personal work to do.

Let me share with you some inspirational stories.

I am a book worm; but more than that, I read almost everything – Bible, newspapers, magazines, signs, and even song books. I read a lot but I'm not into “handyman” readings.  My wife was raised in a super handyman home and like her father, she loves “putter and fix stuff.” Whenever there are things needed to be fixed, my kids yelled for “Mama” and not me.  But one day, I was engrossed reading a very well written book. It was not the usual one I used to read. It was talking about drill bits. It’s another inspiration to a new Life Course.

The guy in the book continued to expose the virtues of drill bits. Being so curious about it, it gave me the motivation to proceed. I was so enthusiastic about it and decided to tell my wife what I have read. You know what she did? She just scratched her head. She was not even impressed when I told her that last year, there were over a million people who bought a 1/2” drill bits. Being a good father, I repeated this to my daughters but neither of them was impressed and didn't even care. They laugh their heart out looking at me as if I was crazy. Then I told them, it’s true. Out of the million people who bought 1/2” drill bits last year, not one of them wanted it. They spent their hard-earned money for something they don't want just to satisfy what they really need. Sounds ironic?  It really does. They bought the drill bit even though not one of them really wanted one. All they wanted – 1/2” holes. What personal mission did I get form this story?

Answers are given only when questions were asked. And only through asking question we will be able to know what another person wants or needs and also for us to gain answers for our queries.

Directions are also given the moment you start asking questions. Here's another story about a blonde who was looking for a job to earn a living. 

One day, while she was walking around her neighborhood, she met a nice man named Frank and he gave her some work to do, and that is, to paint his porch white.  He gave her a bucket of paint then left.

While laughing his way into his house, he told his wife what he did. The wife was shocked upon knowing it since she knew that their porch covers half of their house. But he just continued laughing.

Three hours later, the blonde came and gave back the bucket of paint to the man. Handing her a $100 bill, the man asked how she finished it that quick and was so shocked hearing her say, ''It didn’t take that much time, really.  It was easy. Oh, and by the way it's a ­Ferrari, not a Porsche.'' You read it right; she painted the man's car and not his porch.

Both of them should have asked questions to make things clearer and to avoid mistakes to take place. Also for her to clarify what really needs to be painted and for him to make sure she understood.  Misunderstanding or miscommunication often happens when we don’t know how to ask questions.  It’s another life course to learn.

Robert Orben once said, "You have to question any period in history in which people are saying that God is dead and Elvis is alive.” This shows that asking questions connotes the idea that you crave to know about something and that you are willing to learn.

I once read a story about a single woman who inherited enough money to quit for work.  She decided to get her own credit card and found out that, having no job and a husband, were not that easy.  While she was looking over a gasoline company application form, she said, "If they would just ask the right questions." She continued to fill-up the form and sent it in. But it was rejected just like the rest. Annoyed with it, she wrote back: "I have something much more reliable than a husband or an employee. I have stock in your company.  If you're okay, I'm okay." Two weeks later, her credit card arrived. They asked the wrong questions.

Jay Leno can be considered as a man of questions. He often does a “man-on-the-street” interview and one night, Bible related questions were on the line and members of the Generation Y were his target. He asked two college women to name one of the Ten Commandments and one replied, "Freedom of speech?" He told the other woman to complete this sentence: Let he who is without sin... Her response was, "have a good time?" Mr. Leno then went to a lad and asked, "Who, according to the Bible, was eaten by a whale?" he confidently answered, "Pinocchio."

 Finding out people's answers to some questions you have in mind will make you realize that like you, they may know something, but not everything.

Never be afraid to ask questions but always arm yourself with answers to queries that might be thrown to you for questions may define not only answers but also success.  It’s everyone’s personal work to ask questions.  Now, would you mind if I ask you this great question? Do you ask enough questions? After all, asking questions is not out of the question.