200
Welcome to Day 200! You have made a huge accomplishment by coming this far in your work to achieve your dreams. You are more than halfway through the year, and if you are diligently working on the exercises presented in this book, change is starting to occur in your life whether you recognize it yet or not.
Progress doesn’t happen all at once. It is a gradual transformation that becomes more and more visible over a period of time. You should take time to congratulate yourself today for the hard work you have put into achieving success. You have more to learn, greater opportunities for growth, and thousands of new chances for progress ahead.
Do you feel like you are on the right road today? This moment of reflection on should give you an opportunity to make sure you are traveling down the correct path. It’s easy to get off and end up on the wrong road. Actually, it’s not that terrible if you think that’s what you’ve done. You learn from your mistakes just as much as your triumphs. Maybe you tried your hand at a new job opportunity, and it just doesn’t seem right for you. That’s okay. Admit when you’ve made a mistake and change. As C. S. Lewis mentions in the quote above, the guy who turns back the soonest when he realizes he is on the wrong road is the most progressive. Notice it doesn’t say the guy who never makes any mistakes is the most progressive.
201
What? How can questions be more important than answers? You are striving for success, and that means you should be finding the answers. You should be getting to the truth, reaching your destiny, and making things work. You want conclusions, not questions.
Not true! Questions will lead you down new and inspiring roads. Where do answers lead you? If you already have a conclusion, why would you go exploring?
When you start really asking questions and pondering the things you don’t know, that is when you have the ability to reach beyond your current abilities. Questions open doors and give you choices. Answers tie everything up in a neat bow and close things up. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. End of discussion.
Are you asking enough questions? Do you prefer to be the know-it-all in the group, or would you rather be the one with the least experience who is willing to learn new things? Maybe you fall somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.
Ask questions today. That’s not just a general idea, it’s a directive. Try to ask more questions than provide answers today and see where it takes you. At the end of the day, journal about your experience as a result of this assignment. Did the questions open any doors for you? Did they change your current way of thinking? Did you gain any valuable knowledge from the questions you asked? Make it a daily practice to ask questions and actively search for new information. The more you seek, the more you’ll find.
202
Sometimes asking questions is not the most popular thing to do. People around you might think you’re a troublemaker . . . or just plain stupid. Are you willing to go out on a limb—just like Newton did—and ask why?
Asking questions is a character-building experience, and that’s a good thing. The more you can be true to yourself and not worry about what the rest of the crowd is doing, the better. It doesn’t matter if your co-workers are snickering behind your back. You have an honest motive when you ask why. You are gaining knowledge and increasing your chances of success. You might also ask a question they’ve been wondering about for months and were too afraid to voice.
If you don’t understand something, ask. It’s much better to admit you need help and learn something new than it is to pretend you know what you’re doing and then get caught in your ignorance. It’s okay to be curious. In fact, it’s the sure sign of someone on the road to success.
Trust that every single question you ask will lead you to a greater understanding of the world you live in. Find something today that you don’t know everything about. Ask questions and find some answers so that you have a deeper understanding of that subject by the end of the day.
