Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind. Seneca 4 B.C. – 65 A.D. I generally read the newspaper comics daily. Often, I find them amusing, providing a slight diversion from the … [ Continue Reading ]
Most people don’t realize that both help and harm come from within ourselves. Instead they look to externals, mesmerized by appearances. Epictetus 55 – 135 A.D. I was recently working with a client, and one of her stated goals was to acquire a new Mercedes. So I asked the question, … [ Continue Reading ]
No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible. Stanislaw Lec 1909 – 1966 I rarely watch television. But recently, I was having dinner and an investigative news program came on with a truly compelling subject: the home mortgage crisis that precipitated the financial meltdown in the U.S. I wanted to … [ Continue Reading ]
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Lao-tzu c. 604 – c. 531 B.C. There are many people who ask one or more of the first five questions and even develop good answers. Yet far too many fail to achieve their goals. Why? They frequently … [ Continue Reading ]
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. Friedrich Nietzsche 1844 – 1900 In our first four questions, we covered how, who, where and what. With the last two questions, the power of the questions greatly increases. This question gives you the incentive you need to … [ Continue Reading ]
Habit, n. a shackle for the free. Ambrose Bierce 1842 – c. 1914 The next question in our series is: What should I _________________? As before, you will need to complete the question. There are actually two different ways to ask this question. The first way is obvious: what should … [ Continue Reading ]
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7 I hope that by now, you’re seeing the power of asking the right questions. In the first two parts, we asked the questions: “how can I _________?” and … [ Continue Reading ]
A friend cannot be known in prosperity: and an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity. Ecclesiasticus 12:8 In part one, I discussed the importance of asking questions instead of resorting to the standard behavior of finding an acceptable excuse and using that reason to quit trying for a goal. Our … [ Continue Reading ]
I keep six honest serving men, (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who. Rudyard Kipling 1865 – 1936 When I was in high school, one of my teachers had the above quote on a large poster in … [ Continue Reading ]
To him who is in fear everything rustles. Sophocles c. 495 – 406 B.C. Sian Beilock and Thomas Carr, psychologists who specialize in studying how stress affects performance, recently reported on an experiment involving college students taking math exams. When the students were told the exam was just for practice, … [ Continue Reading ]