The Bible is replete with self-help advice. One of my favorites is Mathew 7:7:
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Holly Branson is doctor and the oldest child of billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson. In her book, WEconomy, Holly shares some of the most profound mentoring advice she received from her father.
One of the pearls of wisdom passed down to Holly by her father was to develop the habit of seeking advice by asking questions of everyone you come into contact with in life, no matter their standing.
Rich or poor, we all have lessons to share. Some of those lessons are ones that create wealth and some of those lessons are ones that create poverty.
Knowing what to do puts you in the race
Seeking wisdom from those who have succeeded in life, have accumulated wealth or who have realized their dreams helps you to identify the habits, decision-making and processes that led to their success.
Knowing what not to do gets you to the finish line
Seeking wisdom from those who have failed in life, who struggle with poverty or who were unable to realize their dreams helps you to identify the habits, decision-making and missteps that led to their failure.
Both are equally important – It’s important to know what to do, and it’s equally important to know what not to do.
By asking questions of everyone you come into contact with, rich, poor or stuck in the middle-class, you are able to capture the full spectrum of wisdom that is needed in order to succeed. Wisdom is everywhere. Sometimes it resides inside the minds of the most unlikely of sources.
Always seek wisdom from others. Ask questions of everyone you meet. Here are some of Holly’s ideas of questions to ask in order to gain wisdom:
- I am a (fill in the blank – CPA, Author, Doctor, Mechanic, etc.) – Do you have any advice for me?
- What would you do differently if you could begin your adult life all over again?
- What would you change in your life?
- What can I change?
- What mistakes have you made that shaped your life?
- What should I do differently?
- What was the best advice you every received in life?
- What was the worst advice?
- Do you know any rich, successful people? What did they do to become wealthy?
- Do you know anyone who failed? What did they do wrong?
- What do you love about your life?
- What do you hate about your life?
Ask and you shall receive.
About Thomas C. Corley
For whatever it’s worth the correct spelling of that Gospel book is Matthew.
There are four (4) Gospel books of the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Agreed, the Bible is chockablock with self-help advice. Just look at how successful the Jewish people have been over the generations following the laws of the Old Testament.