The Power of a Healthy Question

LinkedIn is the perfect place to boast of career success. We see it every day - job anniversary, promotion, post boasting to demonstrate our intelligence, and how great our products and services are. We spend our energy promoting our success. This boasting, often chest pounding, generates “congratulations,” which then causes us to click a “thank you” button, and usually one that is not heartfelt.

Part of me thinks that is ok, goodness I am guilty myself. My career has been filled with promotions, bigger responsibility, increasing incomes, and everything that comes with that. LinkedIn is a great picture of that, a picture I created to promote my success to others. Sounds shallow, right?

But today I want to express a different type of LinkedIn gratitude, one with profound meaning to me. My sincere thankfulness is derived not from bigger titles, promotions, more income, and thousands of accolades. Simply put, I am most thankful just knowing I have a place I call a job, just because that is the reason I have had the privilege of meeting countless people throughout my career.

One might say, “Kevin, I get it; you are thankful to be working and thankful for your colleagues.” True, but there is more to it. I am profoundly grateful to be alive so that I can have the opportunity to work, associate with thousands of people, and have more time with the people who matter the most, my family.  I would also like to apologize for not taking the time to acknowledge everyone I have met along the way. Despite my career success, there have been those who did not believe in me, and at times worked very hard to throw me under the bus. I am no longer bitter; I suppose you had to do what you had to do, or what made you feel good. I am, however, thankful for having met you. Every individual has impacted and shaped my career in some way. So thank you.

No matter our function, no matter our market or industry, we should all strive to develop one essential attribute - the ability to ask good questions.

I asked a good question one day. The question changed my outlook on everything. This question later proved to save my life and proved to me that Divine Intervention is real.

So yes, my profound appreciation for having a job that affords me the blessing to associate with so many people stems from a single, healthy question I just happened to ask one day.  Maybe more of us can refocus on what is important and ask good healthy questions that bless us in business, career, and most of all, life.

Yours in living Life 2.0,

K2.0