What do questions have to do with parenting? Or education? Or life in general? Questions are the most underrated tool we have in our wheelhouse to grow, to challenge ourselves, and to find meaning in life. People who are passionate and intentional about the questions they ask, are passionate and intentional about life. When is the right time to teach your child how to ask good questions? Right now.
Ask Questions. As humans, we have a serious love of knowledge and for uncovering mysteries. There are mysteries all around us and more knowledge than we could ever comprehend. How do we tap into this? By asking questions.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We are often afraid to ask questions, afraid to put ourselves in the center of attention at school or at other activities. But this is silly. Chances are, if you have a question, other people around you have the same question, and would like to know the answer as well.
Great Questions. Great questions are the kind that inspire new forms of thought, that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no, that make the answerer pause for a second, to really think, before answering. Great questions lead to great answers, which in turn lead to great inventions, great discoveries, great achievements, and greatness in general. Here’s my challenge for you: ask one great question today and build up to asking one every day.
How to ask great questions. Asking great questions is easy, just start with the basics. The 5 W’s, Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How, are the building blocks for every great question you could ever ask about anything. When the opportunity arises, think of these six basic questions to help you build a great question.
Creativity. Creativity is all about asking questions and answering them. Think about it, if you sketch something, you are asking yourself, “what do I want to sketch?” “Why?” “For whom or for what purpose?” The more deep and inspiring your question, the more creative you become.
Relationships. Asking questions is also a great way to make friends. People love it when others ask them questions about who they are, where they came from, and what their dreams are in life. If you want to get to know someone, ask them questions and just listen to their answers.
It’s how we grow. The-best-version-of-yourself is always curious. Asking questions and discovering answers is how we grow in every aspect of our lives, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
Life-long learning. You don’t know what you don’t know. Great questions are what inspire us to become life-long learners and to grow beyond the person we are today, into the-best-version-of-ourselves.
The greatest minds. Throughout history, the greatest philosophers, thinkers, rulers and adventurers have harnessed the power of questions to get the most out of life. Without questions, there can be no ambition, no exploration, no great leader. Everyone is trying to answer something, the people who get remembered are the ones who figure out what they are looking for and discover their answer.
Don’t stop. As we get older, our tendency is to believe that we have all the answers, that our experience is complete. Don’t believe this lie. There are always more questions to be asked and there is always room for each of us to grow.
Asking great questions is an important part of learning and growing up. Encourage your child to ask lots of questions and help him or her to see that curiosity and a love for learning are far more beneficial in every way than any fear they may have of asking questions in front of others.
Help your child grow into the best- and smartest-version-of-him/herself, teach your child the wisdom of asking great questions.
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