Ask yourself the easy questions and you will have a hard life. Ask yourself the hard questions and you will have an easy life.
Peter Thompson

Do you remember when you were a child and some of the storybook characters had magic words? There was Ali Baba, who used the words “Open sesame.” And Billy Batson used the word “Shazam” to change into Captain Marvel. Have you ever thought how nice it would be to know some magic words — to have words that could make your dreams come true?

Well, I am going to share three magic words with you. These are simple, everyday words that can work great magic. But like all magic words, they must be used correctly.

Here are the words: what, why and how. And they must be used in that order.

You may be thinking that those are just ordinary words; what kind of magic could those words contain? Actually, they have the power to change your life — if you know how to use them.

Let’s say you think something is missing in your life, or you aren’t satisfied with your life. Ask yourself the question, “What do I want to be?” or “What do I want to have?”

You must give this question a lot of thought. Get very clear on what you want to be or have. Write your answer out in great detail.

Then you use the second magic word and ask “Why do I want to be that kind of person?” or “Why do I want to have that?” Again, write out your answer, and be very clear about why you want this result.

Then ask yourself a third question, using the last magic word: “How can I become the person I want to be?” or “How can I create what I want to have?”

Here is why these words are magic. Most people have fuzzy ideas about what they want. Only by asking what and expressing the answer in great detail will you gain clarity. Clarity is like magic; once you get a very clear idea of what you want, the path to obtaining it becomes easy.

There are a lot of people who profess to know what they want. But they never ask the “why” question; they never develop any strong reasons for why they want what they say they want. Without a strong reason for wanting something, there is no emotional drive to push you toward your goals. Without emotional attachment, we lack the persistence to keep pushing forward when things become difficult.

Asking the last question, “How can I create this in my life?” is very powerful. Keep your mind open to the possibilities of how you can achieve what you want. The mind is designed to answer questions. You only need to ask the right questions and the mind will set out to provide the answers. These three words can be very powerful — so powerful they seem like magic.

No matter what your goal or problem in life, learn to ask the questions: What do I want? Why do I want it? How can I create it in my life? They can change your life — like magic.

When you know what you want, and you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way to get it.
Jim Rohn

Copyright © 2010 John Chancellor