Читать книгу The Answer - Improve Your Life By Asking Better Questions - Lindsay MDiv Tighe - Страница 4

Introduction

Better questions are the answer!

If you are on a journey of self-discovery and self-improvement and want to learn how to ask yourself better questions or want to learn how to ask better questions of others, then you have chosen the right book. There is a wonderful opportunity before you right now to improve not only your own life, but also to make a difference to the lives of others through the gift of asking better questions.

‘When the student is ready, the teacher will appear’ – the saying goes. I trust that by choosing this book you are a student who is ready. Ready to take some time to step back and reflect on yourself and your skills and become wiser so that your continued journey is one of more joy, fulfilment and happiness.

Being a student takes courage because by taking this path you are saying that you are willing to learn new skills. Many people go through life pretending that they have all the skills and knowledge that they need. While they may gain some measure of confidence from this, I believe that if we stop learning we might as well cease to exist, because every day brings us opportunities to learn, but only if we are willing to do so. So, thank you for having the courage to admit that you don’t have all the skills and knowledge you need (and if you are truthful it’s unlikely that you ever will!).

I am still learning and know that I will continue to learn for the rest of my life. I do not pretend to be an expert who has all the answers. However, the intention of this book is to share some wisdom from my continuing journey that I trust will resonate with you and inspire you to realise new insights and make positive changes to enhance your life’s journey.

My dream is to make a positive difference to the lives of millions of people. If by reading this book you are able to enhance your own life in some way, I feel privileged to have made a positive difference. We all want the world to be a better place and it is easy to say that individually we can’t make a difference. However, I believe strongly that change has to start with you. I love the quote ‘you should be the change you wish to see in the world’. If you change then the world changes and if I can be instrumental in inspiring you to change and at the same time make the world a better place then I am fulfilling my own dream and destiny.

As you read this book, I ask two things. First, please be open to new ideas or ways of thinking. The biggest block to our learning is not being willing to look at things differently. If you are prepared to be open to new possibilities then you will get so much more from the experience of reading this book. There are learning opportunities and teachers around us every day, but often we are so busy that we don’t see them. I have been privileged to have some amazing -teachers during my life, but it has been my willingness to be the -student that has allowed me to gain wisdom.

The second thing that I ask is that you take action as a result of the insights and learning contained in these pages. I do not know exactly what those actions will be as they will be different for each person who reads this book, but if you don’t do anything then you only store information in your head that makes you feel good about your knowledge on a subject. This is useless. The only advantage will be that it is good for you to be able to ‘regurgitate’ your knowledge to other people. This may enhance your ego but it will not make you a better person or improve your life.

Whenever I speak publicly I always begin by sharing the ‘three C model’, which simply stands for:

Conscious

Choice

Change

What this means is that by reading this book you are becoming Conscious (or aware) of yourself and some new ideas. However, if that is simply all you do then you will not achieve change because you have missed the essential middle step – Choice. Choice is about the opportunity to make different decisions and to take action, and that is the way you will achieve change. Therefore, I ask that you use the knowledge shared and questions asked to decide what choices you will make as a result of having read this book. When you make different choices and act upon them, the result is Change. My assumption is that no matter how good or successful we are, there is always an opportunity to be better. It all depends on choosing to be better.

On a practical note, you will see that at the end of each chapter I have included a summary. This enables you to recall and reflect on key points, and to return to them at any time to remind yourself of the key themes and messages. In addition, some chapters provide reflective questions. When you read these please take time to reflect on and answer the questions. Also, ensure that you read the action-planning chapter so that you get the most out of the experience of reading this book.

Whatever you choose to do means that things will be different and when things are different outcomes are better. If outcomes are better, then your life has improved. If your life has improved, this means that you are a better person – a better mum, dad, brother, sister, friend, aunt, uncle, grandparent, boss or colleague. If this happens then the world truly becomes a better place.

As I ponder the idea of a better world, where people ask themselves and others better questions, I am excited that that world could be full of people who are:

•more creative

•more empowered

•more open-minded

•more compassionate

•more connected

•more solution-focused

•more action oriented

•more confident

•more valued

•more responsible

•more accountable

•more aware

•more empathetic

•better listeners

•more reflective

•more engaged

•more in control

All of this means that in the world there would be:

•less blame

•less conflict

•less judgment

•less command and control

•less compliance

•less reliance on the status quo

•less focus on problems

•less frustration

•less anxiety

•less restriction

In bringing you this book, I trust that you will be one of the special people who help to achieve these outcomes and that you will spread the word about how simple it is to make the world a better place by asking yourself and others better questions.

You are about to be taught an amazingly powerful life skill that has the power to transform lives – enjoy the journey!

The following questions will help you to evaluate your readiness to get the most out of this book!

Are you ready for the journey?

I am prepared to consider new possibilities.

I am committed to change.

I don’t know it all.

I am willing to be challenged.

I am prepared to be wrong.

I am ready to take action.

I will commit some regular time for reflection.

I am prepared to do things differently.

I am committed to being the best that I can be.

I am prepared to be independent of the ‘good opinion of others’.

I am prepared to take ownership and responsibility for myself.

I am serious about being able to tap into the potential and wisdom of others by asking better questions.

I am prepared to stop giving others my opinion all of the time.