B ME Bites 14: Asking the Right Questions - Guiding the Brain to Success

Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here as a subscriber and get a FREE book as a welcome gift!

This week’s B ME Bites Trivia Question:

Welcome to edition #14 of B ME Bites! This week's edition explores the importance of asking the right questions and how it can engage your Reticular Activating System (RAS) to help you achieve your goals.

For this edition, you can choose your own adventure to proceed!:

🎙️ If you prefer to listen, you can listen on your preferred platform.

📺 If you prefer to watch, you can watch on YouTube:

If you prefer to read, proceed from here! 👇

Featured Topic: Asking the Right Questions: Guiding the Brain to Success

Asking the right questions can be a powerful tool for your personal growth and achieving your goals. Your brain's Reticular Activating System (RAS) plays a crucial role in this process, filtering information to find answers and solutions that align with your personal goals. Understanding how to use your RAS through strategic questioning can make a significant difference in achieving success.

The Power of the Reticular Activating System (RAS)

The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a network of neurons located in the brainstem that acts as a filter for incoming information. By prioritising information that aligns with your personal goals and interests, your RAS helps focus attention and effort on what truly matters to you. This system ensures that your brain is constantly scanning the environment for opportunities and answers related to your most pressing questions and goals. You can find out more about how your RAS works in Edition #12.

How Questions Influence Your RAS

When you ask your brain a question, your RAS goes to work, searching for answers and relevant information. Your brain absolutely HAS to find the answer and it will keep searching until it finds the evidence it needs. This process helps direct your focus and attention, making it easier to notice opportunities and resources that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. By asking the right questions, it’s possible to engage your RAS in a way that supports goal achievement and positive behaviour change.

The Importance of Asking the Right Questions

1. Focusing on Solutions: Asking solution-oriented questions directs your brain's focus towards finding answers and overcoming obstacles. For example, instead of asking, "Why can't I achieve my goals?" consider asking, "What steps can I take today to move closer to my goals?"

2. Encouraging Positive Thinking: Positive questions can help cultivate a more optimistic mindset. Questions like, "What am I grateful for today?" or "What strengths can I use to tackle this challenge?" can shift your focus towards positive aspects and strengths.

3. Clarifying Goals: Clear, specific questions can help define your goals more precisely. Instead of asking, "How can I be successful?" try asking, "What specific actions can I take to succeed in my career?"

4. Stimulating Creativity: Open-ended questions encourage creative thinking and problem-solving. Questions such as, "What new approach can I try to achieve this goal?" can lead to innovative solutions and ideas.

5. Building Confidence: Questions that reinforce your self-belief and confidence can boost motivation. For instance, asking, "What past successes can I draw on to succeed in this new challenge?" can remind your brain of previous achievements and build confidence.

Examples of Powerful Questions

1. Goal-Oriented: "What can I do today to get closer to my goal?"

2. Positive Focus: "What positive outcomes can come from this situation?"

3. Resource Identification: "What resources or support do I need to achieve this?"

4. Action Steps: "What are three actionable steps I can take right now?"

5. Reflective: "What did I learn from this experience that can help me in the future?"

In Summary

Asking the right questions is a powerful way to engage your Reticular Activating System and direct focus towards achieving your goals. By framing questions in a positive, solution-oriented manner, it’s possible to guide your brain to find answers and opportunities that support your success. The practice of strategic questioning not only enhances your focus and motivation but also encourages creative thinking and builds your confidence.

What questions can you ask your brain to help you achieve your goals?

Reader Spotlight

Thank you to Sam who left the following review after reading “Reclaim Your Inner Goddess: 7 Steps to Unlocking Your Inner Goddess Through the Power of the Chakras”:

You can find a link to this book here.

Weekly Challenge

Your mission for this week, if you choose to accept it, is to do the following:

a) Think about a goal that you want to achieve and write down 5 questions that you can ask your brain to help you achieve your goal, using the examples above as a guide.

b) Ask yourself these questions every day, as many times as you can.

If you need some help, feel free to hit reply - let’s help you get started if you’re stuck!

B ME Bites is deliberately sent on a Friday morning (Aussie time) so that where ever you are in the world, you have the weekend to give yourself the gift of implementing a small change towards a better you. What will that small change be? Is there a change that you have been trying to make and haven’t yet succeeded? Give it another go, applying the above - you can do it!

Resource Roundup

Tim Ferriss is the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, including The 4-Hour Workweek. Below is from his blog, where he details 17 questions that he says changed his life:

If you would rather listen, here’s a video for you:

Below is a resource list that has been created with you in mind. Whenever something new that could be helpful is discovered, it’s added to the list, so check it out from time to time. If you’re strapped for time, once you open the page below, click on Resource List in the top menu, then click on the “Health Tools” link for a list of items that could be helpful on your path to a better you.

The answer to this week’s trivia question is:

Thanks for reading and the hope is that you found something helpful inside this issue. If you did, remember to share it with others whom could also find it helpful, using this link: https://bmebites.beehiiv.com

How did you like the content in this newsletter?

Hit reply and answer either 1,2 or 3, and, if the answer is 2 or 3, give the deets on what would make it a 1 for you!:

1. Loved it!

2. It was OK

3. Meh!

If you have an inspiring story, or a helpful tip or strategy to share, or if there is something specific you would like covered, please fill out the form below so that it can be shared with the community. Please note that this is a subscriber survey, so you may have to subscribe first (hint, hint…… 😉) : https://bmebites.beehiiv.com/forms/8d0dfdd1-4290-4e40-bff9-1f61b812c661

Until next week, keep taking one S.T.E.P.S step at a time! (If you missed the issue explaining The S.T.E.P.S Formula, you can check that out here)

Warm regards,

Shari Ware Chief Encouragement Officer at B ME Bites

PS - Here’s a little Friday funny for you!

PPS - B ME Bites is created using the platform Beehiiv. Beehiiv was built by the creators of Morning Brew, so it’s a newsletter platform built by successful newsletter creators and as such, is so easy to use! If you are looking to create your own newsletter and are looking for a great platform, you can check Beehiiv out here. They have a great free plan as well as paid plans when you’re ready to scale.