In my last article, I discussed the importance of using “I am” statements. Today, I would like to discuss another powerful communication tool: questions.
Specifically, I want to talk about the questions you ask yourself. The fact is, we ask ourselves at least several hundred, and up to as many as several thousand, questions a day.
The root of the word “question” is “quest.”
The questions you ask yourself put your brain on a quest. Our brains can be like genies—your wish is your brain’s command.
When you ask yourself a question, you put your brain on a quest to find the answer. Your brain doesn’t just search within you, it also searches the universe. This is why we must be very purposeful in the questions we ask ourselves.
Don’t ask yourself questions, like:
- “Why am I such a loser?”
- “Why doesn’t anyone want to buy from me?”
- “Why can I never sell a big order?”
- “Why don’t people like me?”
These kinds of questions set your brain on a quest to prove that you are a “loser,” that “no one wants to buy from you,” etc. Your brain doesn’t just affirm these negative thoughts privately. Your brain affirms these thoughts into the universe.
These are not the types of quests you want your brain to pursue.
The kind of questions that you want to ask yourself should start with “how,” “what” or “who.”
For example, don’t ask yourself, “Why doesn’t anyone want to buy from me?” Instead, ask yourself, “What do I need to do to earn more orders?” Now, that’s a quest you want your brain to pursue.
Many people over the centuries have said that we only use 10 percent of our brain power. I don’t think that is entirely right. I suspect the truth is that most of us only use our brain properly 10 percent of the time and, perhaps as much as 90 percent of the time, we may send our brain on a quest that works against us.
I will share a question I ask myself many times a day. It’s in my life-planning document front and center. “How can I be even more aware of the unlimited opportunities that surround me in my life right now?” I ask myself that question several times a day. I fully believe that my brain is on a relentless quest both within me and in the universe to keep finding answers to that question.
Thank you to my good friend, Niurka, for her teachings and inspiration.
Want to learn more? I highly recommend Niurka’s book, “Supreme Influence: Change Your Life with the Power of the Language You Use.”
Great stuff as always Greg!