What’s in a Question?

by Sandy Penny

Why do so many people use a question as a headline?

It starts the reader thinking about the subject of the article. It speaks directly to the reader and immediately engages them. It’s a popular marketing strategy because it works.

It actually sounds like you care about the opinion of your reader, and most authors do care. So what if it’s a marketing ploy? If it engages you in an internal dialogue and you learn something about yourself in the process, isn’t that a productive exercise? Who doesn’t want to think our opinion is important to others?

Asking questions is a valuable social tool for creating dialogue. Many people lack the questioning skill. They just want to tell you what they think and move on to the next subject. Caring about what other people say creates a bond between you. It can create more loyal customers who feel that you’re listening and responding to their needs. After all, they’re buying the product, shouldn’t you care what they think?

Back in 1978, when I got the idea to start a newspaper in Houston, Texas, on the heels of another failed newspaper, it didn’t seem like a great business idea. If my predecessor went out of business, perhaps the market for that type of newspaper was lacking. I really didn’t know why they went out of business, so I hit on a strategy that worked for me, and I’ve since successfully used it to start other businesses.

I picked up a copy of the defunct newspaper, called all the advertisers and invited them to a party. I was up front that the party was about discussing a newspaper idea. I didn’t try to trick them into coming to a party and then spring the newspaper idea on them. I let them know I was interested in creating a newspaper that would meet their needs and the needs of their customers. I passed out a mock-up of my newspaper idea to everyone at the party. Then I did something unusual, I asked them how I could best serve them and their customer base. They had lots of great ideas.

Next I asked them to support me in meeting their needs, and I sold enough advertising that day, on a newspaper that had never been produced, to pay for the first printing. After that, I had a party every month when the paper was printed so advertisers could take bundles of newspapers to their businesses. I thereby eliminated about half my distribution costs (mostly efforts on my part). Each month, I would chat up my advertisers for new ideas for future issues and get their feedback on how I was doing with meeting their needs.

The biggest benefit that came out of the experience was the sense of community that was created around the newspaper. It became the hub for dialogue among community members, and the monthly meeting became the venue for that dialogue. I sold more advertising and collected checks in a timely fashion at those parties. About a year later, a larger newspaper came into my community and tried to start a competitive publication. It was better funded and slicker, but it could not get a foothold. My community was really loyal because I had created a personal bond with them by asking for their feedback – and of course, using it. You can shoot yourself in the foot if you go to the trouble of getting input, and then don’t use any of it. People tend to feel disregarded and badly used.

So, why am I writing about this in a healing arts section? The same technique works in personal relationships. It’s all well and good to say that we should not care what other people think. Independence and autonomy are great, and we should not let our lives be run by other people, but sometimes friends and customers have really excellent ideas that can benefit us personally and in business. Asking questions and really listening and using the answers makes our friends and customers feel valued. It develops interactive relationships. We all know those who pontificate from on high and never let others talk.

Dialogue creates community and cooperation and strong friendships that sustain themselves during challenging times. We are living in challenging times right now. Maybe it’s time to ask a few more questions of those you care about and really listen to what they have to say. What do you think?

What Do We Do Now?

By Sandy Penny

So much is going on in the causal plane right now that we feel like nothing is happening here in our dimension, but it’s not true. Tremendous changes are happening at many different levels, although things may look the same at times. So, don’t despair, the world is being shape shifted, and we are asked to wait patiently while the new and good is being built for us to inhabit. Like building a house, sometimes things take longer than we anticipate, and we may be left with temporary housing while the new home is being built, after the old one is no longer available. That’s the metaphor for those who have been forced to leave their old surroundings and seemingly, nothing has been prepared to replace them.

So, what do we do now? We are challenged to return to our spiritual roots and put energy where we want it to manifest. I recently wrote a “program” for my life, something to focus on and put energy into. I was holding a pretty specific vision, and it had only partially manifested, so I could either accuse myself of sabotage, or I could refocus in a way that empowers that reality without limiting it to a possibly changing vision.

If you are absolutely sure of what you want, then, by all means, envision it, accept it, be grateful for it. Hold it tightly and claim it daily. However, if you have any questions, guilt or hesitation about any aspect of that vision, then open yourself up to a potentially bigger vision that the Universe may have for you. In these physical bodies, we cannot see too far beyond what we have experienced or seen on TV or read somewhere. But the Universe can, and the Universe is the machine or system that puts physical reality into motion. And beyond that, God or the All, can conceive of things we haven’t even dreamed in our farthest-out reality imaginings. When I give energy to a program, I always say, if not this, something better and trust the Universe to give me something better, something I may not be thinking of, but that might suit me very well.

As we shift into the Aquarian Age and old structures break down, old visions and old realities fall by the wayside and create chaos. Chaos is the loose energy that can be harnessed for the new world vision that we, as individuals, hold. When we fear the chaos, we surrender to it, and it can be devastating, but when we recognize the chaos as the reforming energy, it can be very exciting. Let go of your old pronouncements about life and open up to your wildest dreams. What do you want? Not, what can you possibly have, but what do you want? Do not limit the Universe to what you know. Expand yourself to encompass new possibilities.

What about you? What do you want? What are you going to do next? Many blessings on whatever it is. May your life be rich and happy.