I need an infusion of ___________. Fill in the blank and you’ll find your magic bullet – the one that, if you got it, you’d probably wind up shooting yourself in the foot with.

Lots of people fill in the blank with money; businesses use the word “capital.” Tired people cite “energy,” and wallflowers say “confidence.”

There are so many ways to fill in that blank, but I suggest that you leave it blank by letting it fill up on its own. That happens by asking a question rather than making a statement.

“What do I need an infusion of?” opens you up to more possibilities than a narrow statement of conjecture.

When we look for solutions, we too often fish in a very small pond. That leaves us with limited fish to fry. The usual practices bring the usual results.

A question takes you to a bigger fishing hole with a sea of possibility.

Take the lottery winner or the failing business owner who gets a “needed” loan as examples. Both get what they think they need – an infusion of money or capital. If the business keeps the same practices in place, how long before they need another infusion? If the lottery winner’s mindset about money doesn’t change, how soon will they turn into MC Hammer?

Get in the habit of being curious. Ask questions rather than making statements. Stop knowing the answer that won’t work for you and wonder about the one that will.

Infusing yourself with mother’s little helpers or Red Bull may get you over the hump, but continuing those practices gets you humped.

Start to wonder and let your mind wander through infinite possibilities rather than fixating on short-term fixes.

Most people do not learn from their mistakes; they just repeat them by looking for a specific infusion.

Our patterned mind comes up with patterned solutions. Asking questions allows our curiosity to take us deep sea fishing. It’s a way to fill in the blank with long-term solutions rather than the resulting confusion of temporary infusion.

All the best,

John