Living the Questions

I recently watched the Academy Award-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire." In case you haven't seen it, it's the story of two brothers raised in the slums of Mumbai, India and the dramatically different paths their lives take. The title comes from the main character's appearance on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." Although he has little formal education, Jamal Malik answers question after question correctly, until the game show host suspects him of cheating and has him arrested.

As his interrogators probe relentlessly to find out how he knows the answers to so many challenging questions, scene after painful scene reveals how he has lived the answer to each question in his short and difficult life.

Now my point today is not to provide a film review or a synopsis of a movie you likely have already seen. It is to remind that you don't have to have lived in the slums of India to have lived plenty of questions in your own life! The bigger question is this: Have you learned the lessons those questions have brought to you and turned the answers and experiences to good use in your life?

The questions are everywhere: Why am I going through this lousy time in my business? What is happening to my relationship? Why am I suffering this particular health problem? When is my life going to turn around? Why do I have so much stress? Most of the time we want to run away; to avoid the questions. But in doing so we avoid the lessons we might learn along the way and often miss the hidden gift they bring as well.

In my life, for example, I've learned invaluable lessons through some significant periods of stress (yes, much of it self-induced). These experiences have given me a compelling reason to learn such stress-management strategies as yoga, tai chi, breathing and meditation. The wonderful thing is that although stress provided the motivation for learning those techniques, I now derive tremendous joy and benefit from them, and they have helped me in ways I would never have dreamt. I've created seminars and speeches on stress management, using my experiences and lessons that have generated financial as well as psychic income. So while the questions and experiences have come with pain, I have also "profited" in a number of wonderfully unexpected ways.

Please don't misunderstand and think I am advocating suffering. But since none of us escapes it in this life, we might as well benefit from our experiences.

You've heard the saying a thousand times if you've heard it once: "Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent what you do with what happens." What are you doing with the questions life is showing you today or during this phase of your life? Are you running scared, hoping to somehow escape them? Or are you like poet and author Maya Angelou who eloquently titled one of her books, "Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now"? Are you living the questions and challenges and seeking to "squeeze the juice" out of those lemons to make lemonade?

Next time one of those questions generated by a painful or difficult experience pops up, take the time to ask yourself, "What is the lesson here?" "What do I need to learn?" "What can I be grateful for?"

In "Slumdog Millionaire" Jamal has the opportunity to earn millions for his correct answers. He's paid a very high price for the knowledge. If we want to be rich in life lessons, like Jamal and Maya Angelou, we are wise to embrace the questions. We may never have a best-selling book or win a million dollars for our knowledge but the lessons we learn along the way will indeed be priceless.

This week, regardless of what life is throwing at you, embrace the questions and remember you're already a winner in the game of life.

Quote of the Week:

"Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine."

~~Mario Fernandez

Dancing in the Rain

In case you're living one of those questions right now, I've discovered that inspiration is often the key to transformation. My friends at Simple Truths have put together an amazing collection of inspirational books, including this one titled "Learning to Dance in the Rain." Take a look and see if you can find a new step or two to help you dance through the rain!

Learning to Dance in the Rain - $ 15.95

"Transforming Your Potential into Performance!"
Betty Mahalik, PCC Life & Business Coach, Trainer bettym@dynamic-coaching.com www.dynamic-coaching.com	Dynamic Solutions 5240 Mustang St. Las Vegas, NV 89130 tel: 702 658-4425 fax: 702 658-5802 mobile: 702 443-0175
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