"I NEED SOME HELP. MAY I ASK YOU SOMETHING?" Giving And Receiving Quality Advice © Lee Wise 2003 All rights reserved

I JUST WASN'T SURE...

I was in one of those "I'm not so sure what to think about this" moments when I stepped inside office of a friend. Had you been there, I am fairly certain you would have noticed sincerity in my voice as I stated: "I have 'one of those' questions for you again."

He didn't even need to hear me say, "Mind if I ask you?" A sympathetic glance followed by one word -- "Sure" -- put me in conversational driver's seat.

At least for a few minutes.

THEN THINGS PROGRESSED

It's a good thing I didn't plan on staying in that seat for a long time.

Why?

Because somewhere between minute one and minute forty-five of dialogue that followed, my friend quite naturally assumed his place behind steering wheel.

HE WAS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT

My friend, who I will now refer to as "Paul," was *welcomed* into that position. It was a relief to have him there.

He listened. He evaluated. He clarified issues. And he gave me his advice.

IT WAS GREAT

I'm telling you... it was *great!*

The insights I received from Paul were to my heart what a glass of ice water is to a thirsty body on one of those hot, sticky days: refreshing.

WHERE THIS IS LEADING

I relayed this brief segment of my life to you for a purpose: to underscore value of giving and receiving quality advice.

Go on a mental road trip and revisit what it *meant* to you when you eagerly accepted words of a friend, associate or family member.

PEOPLE QUESTIONS Responding Positively To The Influence Of Others © Lee Wise 2003 All rights reserved

Everyone understands power of an excellent question. A question that:

*Causes us to take stock of our lives *Encourages us to become better persons *Inspires us to help someone *Is spark for initiating change

One question -- heard and acted on at right time -- can have a profound effect on our lives.

The purpose of this article is to focus on...

PEOPLE QUESTIONS

When I use term "people questions," I am referring to questions we can ask ourselves about other people.

And for what purpose?

To continue our own journey of self-development *and* be a blessing to other people in process.

It's that simple.

GUIDELINES FOR BEGINNING

I will allow questions to speak for themselves, but I do have three suggestions for you as we begin:

*Read entire list first

*Pay attention to those that "speak to you" in any way

*Jot down thoughts and ideas as they come to mind without taking time to analyze them (do that later)

Let's go... IMPORTANT AND INFLUENCIAL

Who are most important people in my life?

Who means most to me?

*Why? *Do they know it? *If you had to name top three, who would they be? Who are most influential people in my life?

*Why? *Is this good, not so good, or bad?

HELPFUL

Who has proven to help me most on a personal level?

And what about on professional, physical, emotional or spiritual levels?

What have I learned from them?

Could I ... or should I ... help them in any way?

What could I say or do that would encourage, motivate or inspire them?

DANGER AHEAD

Are there any people I should avoid or limit my exposure to?