Questions are power tools of change. Power tools work best when plugged in and turned on. Sometimes the questions we ask are not really questions.  My friend and creative editor, Tom Cantrell, called me on this recently when he asked, “Was that a question, or a statement disguised as a question?”

Here's a common example: “How can I be happy with all of this going on?”  That's not a bad question, if it is used as a question.  Normally a question like this really means, “I can't be happy with all of this going on” – it is a statement disguised as a question.  Another example is in my last message – “What could possibly be good about this?”  Another great question, if you stay plugged in to the question.  “Nothing could possibly be good about this” is the statement that sometimes gets into that question's disguise.  Plug in the power – turn it back into a question and get busy answering it.

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.

~Marianne Williamson

*Image courtesy of Master isolated images/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Join the discussion 2 Comments

  • Dr. Paul says:

    Good catch Jon – or “Why did you do that?” What “answer” could possibly satisfy us?

  • Jon says:

    Great point! Makes me think about the “questions” I ask at home! (i.e., “what do think you’re doing?”, or “what give you the idea that…..?)
    Hmmmm….. I’ll have to think on this one a bit!