40 Questions to Change Your Life

By John Mason

With his signature infectious positive energy, John Mason offers you a simple yet powerful message of encouragement and hope--you can seize today and uncover a brighter tomorrow. For anyone who feels stuck, who yearns for a change but isn't sure just how to pursue it, John shows that the most powerful tool we have is asking ourselves the right questions to get the right answers. These bite-sized readings are perfect for busy professionals, overworked moms, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking for an uplifting boost.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 10, 2021
• ISBN: 9781493431731

John Mason

John Mason es un ministro y orador internacional. Es fundador y presidente de Insight Internacional, una fundación dedicada a ayudar a las personas para que usen todos sus dones y talentos mientras cumplen el plan de Dios para sus vidas.

Book preview

© 2018 by John Mason

Published by Revell

a division of Baker Publishing Group

PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.revellbooks.com

Spire edition published 2021

ISBN 978-0-8007-4011-5

eISBN 978-1-4934-3173-1

Previously published in 2018 under the title Seize Today

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations labeled ABPE are from The Original Aramaic New Testament in Plain English—with Psalms & Proverbs. Copyright © 2007; 8th edition Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2011

Scripture quotations labeled ISV are from The Holy Bible: International Standard Version. Release 2.0, Build 2015.02.09. Copyright © 1995–2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled WBT are from Webster’s Bible Translation.

I am proud to dedicate this book to my beautiful wife, Linda; our four great kids, Michelle, Greg, Mike, and Dave; my two daughters-in-law, Brittany and Kelley; and my three grandchildren, Emma, Olivia, and Beckett.

To Linda, for your prayers and love.

To Michelle, for your dedication and unwavering commitment to excellence.

To Greg, for your peaceful faith and support.

To Mike, for your creativity and worshipful heart.

To Dave, for your competitive spirit and Dave and Dad fun.

To my dear mom, who has always loved me unconditionally. The best mom in the world!

To Brittany and Kelley, for your love for my sons and your love for the Lord.

To Emma, Olivia, and Beckett, for the sweetness, laughter, and abundance of love you’ve brought to our entire family.

Your support, help, encouragement, sense of humor, and prayers sustain and bless me every day.

Contents

Cover    1

Half Title Page    2

Title Page    3

Copyright Page    4

Dedication    5

Acknowledgments    11

Introduction    13

1. When was the last time you astonished yourself?    15

2. Who are the five people you spend the most time with? Are they increasing you or holding you back?    18

3. If you’re not you, then who are you going to be?    22

4. Does today feel different than yesterday?    25

5. Would the child you were be proud of the man or woman you are?    29

6. Do you give space in your mind to those who don’t want you to succeed?    32

7. Why? Why not? Why not you? Why not now?    36

8. If you could, what would you work on right now?    40

9. What’s your favorite excuse? Why are you still using it?    43

10. What is something you can do for someone who has no opportunity to repay you?    46

11. What progress are you standing in the way of?    50

12. What lies are you believing today?    53

13. Is this your very best?    56

14. Which is worse—failing or never trying?    59

15. What are you really aiming at?    64

16. Do you take the advice of your fears?    69

17. Whom do you need to forgive today?    73

18. How can you change someone’s life for the better today?    76

19. Are you having fun yet?    79

20. Are you choosing your story or someone else’s?    83

21. What gives you goose bumps?    86

22. Have you survived the worst thing that’s happened to you?    90

23. Is it true?    94

24. What one thing do you need to do next?    97

25. What have you started that you need to finish?    101

26. Do you scare yourself?    105

27. What are you putting off today that you put off yesterday?    108

28. Is the juice worth the squeeze?    111

29. What would you do today if there were no tomorrow?    114

30. Whom did you love today?    117

31. What’s the first small step you can take now to get moving in the right direction?    120

32. What’s already in your hand?    123

33. What’s one regret you don’t want to have?    125

34. What would your life look like if you were the most grateful, thankful person you know?    128

35. Are your eyes looking forward?    132

36. Do you like the sound of your own voice? How does it sound when you’re complaining?    135

37. What have you stopped doing that you need to start doing again?    138

38. When someone asks, What’s new? what’s your answer?    141

39. When was the last time you said, Wow, I can’t believe I did that?    145

40. What are you amazingly good at?    148

A Final Word    151

About the Author    153

Back Ads    154

Back Cover    158

Acknowledgments

I’d like to thank Lonnie Hull DuPont for her excellent thoughts on how to make this book better. Her candor, humor, and expertise are always appreciated.

Introduction

We’ve all heard the expression carpe diem, seize the day. It’s a great thought and one I embrace. In this book, 40 Questions to Change Your Life, I hope to take that idea one step further for you.

When you seize the day, how do you know what to do, what to choose, or where to go? I believe the answer is best found by asking the right questions.

In this book, I present forty key questions and teachings I know will unlock answers for your life. The Bible statements You have not because you ask not (James 4:2 ABPE) and Ask and you will receive (John 16:24 NIV) are as true today as they were two thousand years ago.

It’s been said you can judge a man by his questions as much as by his answers. I believe you’re where you are today because of the questions you’ve asked.

To get where you want to be, you must ask the right questions. The difference between people who are successful and those who aren’t is that successful people ask better questions and therefore get better results.

Do you ask enough questions, or do you settle for what you know? What are the questions that are shaping your life?

Seize your way, every day. Every person is created equal in this regard; we’re all given twenty-four hours each day. You’ll find that the secret to your success is hidden in your daily routine. What we all do each day matters. So seize today by asking the right questions.

Question 1

When was the last time you astonished yourself?

I obtained an amazing job a few years after graduating from college. It all began when I received a phone call out of the blue. I was enrolled full-time in an MBA program, but this was too good to pass up.

The job opportunity was beyond my wildest imagination: assistant to the chairman of the board of the largest bank in Oklahoma. I’ll never forget going through seven interviews, starting in human resources all the way through the chairman and president, and finally receiving a job offer at only twenty-four years of age. And I was about to get an invaluable perspective from the top down.

As I worked directly for the chairman of the board, my responsibilities included serving on many boards for the bank, giving speeches for the president and chairman, teaching other top executives how to communicate to an audience, sitting in on board meetings, overseeing the executive dining room floor, and running the bank’s tennis tournament (which included Jimmy Connors, Stan Smith, Roscoe Tanner, and many other of the world’s top players). I didn’t fully realize it at the time, but my view of business and leadership would never be the same.

I thought I was thinking big before this job, but there was a much bigger world out there. That’s true for you too.

Life is too short to think small. Rather, do as Joel Budd encourages us to: March off the map. Most people could do more than they think they can, but they usually do less than they think they can. You never know what you cannot do until you try.

I agree in principle with Oscar Wilde when he said, Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess. Charles Schwab said, When a man has put a limit on what he will do, he has put a limit on what he can do.

The answer to your future lies outside the confines of where you are today. I like to say that if you want to see if you can really swim,