Author: Ask Yourself This

Today’s Quote: I am incredibly thankful for the strong support I have from my peers in the industry and of course my amazing fans. – Miranda Lambert                             

Today’s Narrative: Asking for help can be intimidating, but it can also be a sign of strength and resourcefulness. When you ask for help, you open yourself up to the possibility of learning something new and gaining valuable insights from others. Whether you’re struggling with a personal issue or a work-related challenge, seeking out the guidance of someone you trust can provide you with the support and direction you need. So don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help when you need it. You’ll be surprised at how much it can benefit you.

Today’s Question: Do you ask for help or support when you need it?

Today’s Quote: Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill. – Buddha    

Today’s Narrative: Saying the wrong things can happen to anyone, and it’s important to remember that it’s a normal part of being human. Whether you’ve misspoken, made an inappropriate comment, or simply said something you didn’t mean, it’s important to acknowledge your mistake and try to make things right. This can involve apologizing to the person you’ve offended, clarifying your intentions, or simply acknowledging that you made a mistake. While it may be difficult in the moment, owning up to your mistakes and working to repair any damage caused can help to strengthen your relationships and build trust with others.

Today’s Question: What are the words you need to hear most right now?

Today’s Quote: Only by learning to live in harmony with your contradictions can you keep it all afloat. – Audre Lorde

Today’s Narrative: Happiness is a positive emotion that is often associated with feelings of contentment, satisfaction, and joy. Sadness, on the other hand, is a negative emotion that is often associated with feelings of loss, disappointment, and melancholy. Overall, happiness and sadness are two emotional states that can be experienced at different times and in response to different stimuli. While happiness is generally considered a positive emotion, sadness can also serve a useful purpose by helping individuals process and cope with difficult experiences and emotions.

Today’s Question: Can you compare a time when you were happy with a time when you were sad? 

Today’s Quote: Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game. – Michael Jordan 

Today’s Narrative: The ironic thing about today’s quote is that we know so much more about the nature of Michael Jordan (the man) now than we did when he was an active player and giving quotes like this. His work ethic was legendary, and there was no reason not to try to emulate it other than lacking in otherworldly athletic abilities. We later learned that the luster of ‘Best Player Ever’ waned, and the notion of ‘Pretty Terrible Human’ started to grow. It turns out Jordan had the most fun making other people look like clowns. But not just on the court but with friends, family, and seemingly random people on the street. We fell for a marketed image, and since I was a kid when Jordan reigned, I’m okay with that. But I am also okay now that I know a little better than messengers, and messages, are not as pure as they are presented.

Today’s Question: Are The Activities You Take Pleasure In Fun For Everyone?

Today’s Quote: It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. – Harry S Truman  

Today’s Narrative: Sharing a moment is simple when you are a child. While very susceptible to bouts of pure selfishness (I think of them as ‘Mine, Mine, Mine Moments as I think of my daughter in her toddler days), the joy of watching children who don’t know each other meet on a random playground, declare themselves best friends after five minutes and see the inevitable separation on par with a massive Hollywood couple breaking up. As adults, sharing a moment is not so simple, even if you have been besties since your time as toddlers. Even as social creatures by instinct, modern times force us to be much more guarded and suspicious of each other, making real connections hard for adults to navigate.

Today’s Question: Are You Any Good At Making And Maintaining Connections With Other People?

Today’s Quote: On average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. – Brian Clark    

Today’s Narrative: The lack of knowledge held by the average person is astonishing. As is the number of people who say they don’t follow any daily news reports or have not read a book since high school. But the genuinely appalling nature of this is how the average person believes they know much more than they do and what that knowledge gap amounts to. This mostly leads to harmless bickering over weather patterns, political leaders, and sports teams. But when it doesn’t, the average person’s ignorance can lead them to follow unsavory characters or even become an unsavory leader in their own right. Knowing you have a problem is the first sign that you are better than that problem, and a good sign you have a grasp of your limits of knowledge is to acknowledge you indeed do have a limit to your knowledge.

Today’s Question: How Do You Handle Having A Lack Of Knowledge On An Issue That May Be Important?

Today’s Quote: Go to your bosom; Knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know. – William Shakespeare

Today’s Narrative: In times of self-doubt, you may get the advice to ‘listen to your heart.’ Following this advice is meant to key you into your instincts and emotions. The point is not to overthink and over (or under) rationalize a decision. You know how you feel about it, so choose the choice that aligns with that feeling. But there is a reason why we overthink many choices. We know that the wrong decision could be disastrous, even if the probability of a bad general decision will be quickly forgotten for some other decision, whether that one brings a good result or not.   

Today’s Question: Why Is ‘Listen To Your Heart’ Hard Advice To Follow?

Today’s Quote: Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself. – Elie Wiesel 

Today’s Narrative: We make way too many excuses for ourselves. With all the practice, we’ve become masters at the art of deceiving ourselves. The creative process of giving ourselves all the outs we need not be accountable for is worthy of EGOT status. Think about the fantastic things we could accomplish if we could harness that power for truly good and not slacker indifference. Your lack of self-control is keeping you from reaching that next level of greatness, but what is actually greater: your will to do to your want to not do?

Today’s Question: How goes your battle with maintaining self-control?