What does success look like?
David Icke shared that when he was little, his mom said that the goal in life is to be happy. So, when in school, and the teacher asked, “What do you want to be?”, Icke answered, “Happy”, the teacher suggested perhaps he didn’t understand the question.
No doubt Icke perceived the question differently and didn’t provide the anticipated answer that had something to do with a profession. However, if there ever was a short answer to that huge, generic question, I’d say Icke nailed it.
Success is very subjective and when the question is generic, it begs for next questions like, “What does success look like?? Does success – happiness – have to do with possessions, people, purpose, profession, passion… “, or something else that begins with a letter other than “p”? 😊 For a budding athlete, is “success” entering into their first competition or getting an Olympic medal? For an entrepreneur, is “success” the first podcast that had an impact or having the ability to donate $1M to their favourite charity? For a parent is “success” getting through a difficult argument with a teen or witnessing their human gift confidently making their way in the adult world?”
Sometimes we get lazy with questions and ask things like, “How are you?”, “Did you like the event?”, “What is a good book to read?”, “Where should I invest?”, “How can I get healthier?” which deliver answers that are loose, unclear and sometimes irrelevant. Have you ever asked 10 people the same question and after receiving 10 responses, still don’t have the one that will make a difference for you? Is the void created by the answers or the question?
Aha! ~ “Good questions inform, great questions transform.” Ken Coleman
Lazy, vague or common questions with no determining elements sabotage both your ability to measure your progress or identify which behaviours may need tweaking in order to achieve the success you picture. After all, “The most powerful way to control your focus is through the use of questions.” ~ Tony Robbins.
And when your current questions aren’t bringing Aha!s, asking inverted questions – shifting “What if I fail?” to “What if I win?”, for example – can shed an entirely different light.
When your question is a conversation starter, especially in a social setting when you want to be inclusive, general is perfect. But when you are seeking specific information to succeed deliberately, your carefully crafted question is half the answer.
I’ll leave you with a beauty from Eckhart Tolle, “Instead of asking, “What do I want from life?” a more powerful question is, “What does life want from me?”
Guess who will be on our Aha! Insiders Club Q&A this week??? Energy intuit, master, healer and teacher, Cathy Chmilnitzky!!! Tune in (literally 😊) 11:30 Eastern, tomorrow – sign up here for your Zoom link.
Do you have a favourite question? I’ll reveal a few of mine tomorrow at 1:00 eastern in our Aha! Moment Trailblazer group on Facebook. Join the conversation HERE.
Succeed Deliberately!
Jae M. Rang, MAS
Strategist, Speaker, Author, Mom
