Riddle me this . . .
Whether you want to attack this concept through a spiritual or totally agnostic lens . . .
Do you buy into the concept that if you ask . . . you shall receive?
Personally, I think many people set themselves up for failure by failing to embrace the concept properly.
First . . . They begin by asking a really (and I mean really) lame question that they think satisfies the “asking” part of the agreement.
Questions like . . .
“Why does this always happen to me?” or “Why can’t I have all these unrealistic things I want by tomorrow” “Could things get any worse?
Instead . . . Ask a better question!
If you want to dramatically improve your communication with anyone (especially yourself)
You ask a better question!
Questions draw us inward and I do believe many of our answers begin from the inside and manifest on the outside.
Here’s a cool question that can help you RECEIVE answers immediately!
“In what ways can I __________” then fill in the blank.
Have your sales gone into the flush cycle in the toilet?
Ask . . . “In what ways can I turn this around?”
Now let your pen move. Judge your answers later!
Right about now, you might be in need of a follow up question to the original one.
If the answer you get is “Its impossible” or “I don’t know” then check this out . . .
“But if I did know . . . what would I do?”
Next . . . You don’t ask and then wait. That’s how you drown!
You ask and then you obsess!
Obsess over finding the answers you seek.
You obsess over the action that the initial answers require and then . . .
You get off your ass and do it!
And while you’re embracing your inner GOYA; you keep asking for answers by asking powerful questions.
STOP!
Right about now you might be tempted to ask “Why isn’t this working?”
That’s a lame question with a nicer suit of clothes my friend!
Replace it with . . . “What adjustments do I need to make to move in the right direction?”
Perhaps you need to ask a more “suspicious” type of question such as
“I know I’m missing something here . . . what am I missing?”
Finally . . . you dedicate yourself to whatever it takes until you get what you are looking for but . . .
Make sure you that you aren’t sitting around on your ideas!
Make sure you are getting your uniform dirty . . . every day!
Note: I didn’t say get it dirty today, chill until next Tuesday and then get it partially dirty until Friday before you rinse and repeat
I mean . . . you get your uniform filthy, beyond recognition . . .
EVERY DAY!
Funny thing about asking . . . sometimes we don’t get what we asked for.
We get a bonus . . .
A lesson disguised as a non answer!
And by all means keep this next thought under glass to be broken in case of emergency . . .
Delays are never denials . . . they are invitations to grow, to learn and reach deep down within one’s self!
If it were easy . . . the “receiving” part would most likely suck!
May you receive all that you ask for . . . and more!
I train sales teams and individuals to be lethal. Click here to check out my new brochure!
Wow! Great post!!
Thanks Christopher!
Thank you, Jonathon, for your once again wise counsel to us. I know personally that you are dead on.
I was unemployed for 3.5 years due to an illness in 2008 that required extensive treamment ( can no longer see what I”m typeing so please excuse any typographical errors) When I was ready willing anable and eager to return to work, my job was no longer available nor did my company have any equivilant jobs available. My industry, computer aided engineering, doesn’t have many companies to choose from and none were hiring in my area. I finally realized that I had a decision to make; take a huge loss on my house to relocate to where the copanies were hiring or to reveavaluate my priorties and find a job job in another industry. Once I completed that process, I quickly found a job.
Your words of wisdom inspire me daily.
This is just what I needed.
Thank you and have a wonderful day
What a nice note Angalique . . . Thank you!
Thank you . . .
Debbie
Thank you Debbie!
Thanks Paul. You are the man bro-chacho!!
Thanks Peter 🙂
I asked the voices inside my head that keep giving me the wrong advice to stop but that only started a cage match. The winner said for me to GOYA and get back to it. Questions I asked myself: What does it mean to me and why is this version of it important? Think I can have fun with this one.
I love this, Paul, because just by asking a better question, our eyes are open to the possibilities and opportunities. The poor-me questions only perpetuate being stuck because they narrow our vision so that we cannot see even the obvious solutions to perceived challenges. Thanks for the simple, but powerful reminder lesson.
The old “blame game”. Your troubles, failures, or inefficiencies are caused by evil forces beyond your control.
Banish the evil forces and take back your life. Waiting for circumstances to change could take forever. Personally, I haven’t got that long!
Thanks Paul.
Great post, Paul. So much of success in sales (and life for that matter) is mental. Hey, we all get in ruts, but you can get yourself out of that rut by thinking positively, and focusing on what you can do to make your situation better. Thanks for sharing.