Three of my favorite topics in one sentence! I’m working on several things simultaneously, as I often do, and a question came up from some friends about how to integrate all their learning to solve certain problems in their lives.
One of the basic principles of neural-based training is the brain likes to answer questions. We are hard-wired to seek answers and solutions. The brain is a hunter-gatherer of information (one of the reasons we’re all addicted to the internet and electronic communication — never before have so many had access to so much information at the touch of a finger). So one technique in neural-based training is formulating questions that stimulate the brain to solve specific problems.
In no particular order, here are some questions I like to ask in certain training situations. The people I facilitate have found it useful to mind-map their answers while exploring the process.
- If you were a street mugger sizing you up, what would you observe about yourself that would indicate you’re a good target? Or a bad target?
- Do you know what an attacker would look for, or are you looking for what you would look for?
- If you were a burglar looking at your house, what would you see that would make you a nice juicy target? Or not?
- If you were a stalker following a loved one, what would make that loved one (of yours) a vulnerable target?
- If you needed to borrow $100 in cash, right now, how many people within a day’s walk of where you’re standing would a) have it and b) be willing to lend it?
- If you were sick and you needed someone to take you to the hospital or to come to your home and care for you, how many people within a day’s walk of where you’re standing would a) be willing to do so and b) have the time or the willingness to take the time to care for you? And for how long?
- If you have children or pets, how many people within a day’s walk of where you’re standing would you turn to if you needed someone to take care of those children or pets at 2 a.m.? How many would you a) trust to care for them and b) be able to care for them and c) for how long?
- How far can you walk in one day?
- How far can you walk carrying 25 pounds, in one day?
- Could you carry an adult or child up or down a flight of stairs?
- How far can you drag 150 pounds before you have to stop to catch your breath?
Those are enough questions. Feel free to share your answers below (or not) and perhaps we’ll discuss the implications of these particular questions.