How to make the most of life's questions

What’s in a question?

A question is one of the most powerful tools we have in our arsenal. It’s impact can change the course of our lives in a split second, so we should ask and answer every question with that in mind.

Think of one of those big “life questions” that you have either asked or have been asked that changed the direction of your life. It could have been about a job. Maybe you were offered a promotion at a new company and had to make a choice, not only about the company, but also the move required to work for that company. How about a change in your relationship status? You know the type that made you update your Facebook page! Or maybe it was a decision to go back to school or whether or not you should stay in school. As you think about it, you’ll realize how impactful questions have been in your life. And if you dig a little bit deeper you’ll start to see how questions force us to address certain hidden fears or worries. Put simply: Questions confront the status quo.

Questions demand us to stop and consider a situation, a person, or our life a little more deeply. If we make a habit of brushing them off, we will lose the impact they could have had in drawing us into new experiences or helping us move forward in our lives. But if we answer them honestly with deep reflection, we will find it easier to live with focus, passion, and direction in life.

Questions beg us to consider and choose what things in life are most valuable. They are like a fork in the road that, in answering, reveals a clear choice for our future.

Questions call us to action.  

This is what I love about a question. It calls us to action no matter our answer. Even if our response is no action, that in and of itself is action. We answer hundreds of questions every day. Some of those questions are the “big life questions” we talked about earlier, while others seem pretty normal and mundane in nature. Will I wake up with the alarm? Will I eat a salad or a burger for lunch? Will I say “hi” or “hello” to my boss? I could sit here and write pages of these because every day, even if not posed with a question mark at the end, we are answering these questions.

Answers dictate our future.

It’s pretty simple to see that the answers to our daily life questions determine who we are and who we will become. With that in mind, we should start taking how we answer them a bit more seriously. The way you interact with people, use or waste time, choose what to eat or not eat ... all of this adds up to one big answer, which becomes our life.

It is important to see the magnitude of the questions and answers in our lives. They will either challenge us to grow, overcome hardship, and chase our dreams, or do the exact opposite. With every question we find ourselves at a turning point; a moment in time where we have the power to choose how we will act. And by choosing that, we choose how we will live .

There are an infinite number of questions to be asked and answered. And today, I want you to think about how you’re answering questions with more care.

While you’re thinking about it, ponder this one as well:

What questions have you put off answering because of fear?

It’s pretty obvious what I’m going to say next. Answer them. Face your fear and choose today what will be your tomorrow.