The One Question That Will Change Your Life Forever
- Lenny Richardson
- Apr 28
- 6 min read
Introduction: The Turning Point That Changed Everything
Years ago, after getting my real estate license, I was stuck. I wanted to go from zero to one hundred overnight. Like many young professionals, I assumed that hiring a business coach would unlock the magic formula. So I invested $500 a month into working with a man named Craig Ballantyne—a fantastic coach whose lessons shaped the way I think even today.
One conversation with Craig changed the entire trajectory of my life. He said something so simple, yet so profound, that it shattered the way I approached success, problem-solving, and even personal growth. It wasn't a business strategy. It wasn't a marketing tip. It was something much deeper, something foundational.
That conversation planted a seed that grew into an entirely new philosophy for how to live. And it all revolved around one simple but powerful principle: the quality of your life is determined by the quality of the questions you ask. Table of Contents
The Lesson That Blew My Mind
Craig's words hit me like a truck: "The quality of your life is determined by the quality of the questions you ask." At first, it sounded almost too simple to be life-changing. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.
We often view life as a series of external events that happen to us. But in reality, life responds to the questions we dare to ask. Most people ask low-quality, surface-level questions: "Why is this happening to me?" or "How can I get rich fast?" But powerful lives are built on powerful questions. Insightful questions. Thoughtful questions that dig beneath the surface.
Once I absorbed this lesson, I realized that questions are the entry point to everything we want to improve—our careers, our relationships, our health, even our happiness. Better questions lead to better answers. Better answers lead to better lives.
Why Most Questions Are a Waste of Time
Most people throw questions into the air like confetti. They ask without thinking. They ask to fill silence. They ask to appear engaged. But few stop to consider whether their questions are moving them closer to real understanding or worthwhile action.
I realized that I hated pointless questions. The ones people ask reflexively, without pausing to think critically. Questions without intent. Questions that don't solve anything.
Good questions require effort. They force you to slow down and consider what you don't know, what you assume, and what you're trying to uncover. When you start filtering your questions through the lens of "Will this lead to a real insight?" you immediately separate yourself from 90% of the world.
The Power of Asking the Right Questions
Asking the right question can transform a situation instantly. It can take you from confusion to clarity, from stagnation to momentum. In my own life, when I began focusing on what questions to ask—instead of just asking anything—I noticed my growth accelerate dramatically.
The secret was assuming I knew nothing. If I operated from the mindset that I was a blank slate, then every question I asked had the potential to be meaningful. Every moment became an opportunity to fill a gap in my understanding, not simply to confirm what I already believed.
Through this practice, I discovered something even more powerful: not all questions are created equal. Some questions scratch the surface. Others dig to the roots. The ones that dig to the roots are the ones that change your life.
The Greatest Question You Can Ever Ask
After months of thinking deeply, I concluded that there is one question above all others. One question that reigns supreme.
That question is "Why?"
"Why" is the ultimate clarifier. It forces you to move past superficial answers and get to the real reasons behind your choices, beliefs, and actions. It peels back the layers until you're staring at the naked truth—sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes liberating, but always necessary.
Every major breakthrough I've had—whether personal, professional, or philosophical—started with asking "Why?" It’s not what, where, or when that reveals the essence of a problem. It’s "Why."
Why "Why" Changes Everything
The moment you start asking "Why," you stop living on autopilot. You begin to take control of your life at its foundation—your motivations, your fears, your goals.
Asking "Why" forces you to think critically about what you believe and what you want. It breaks down illusions and gets you closer to truth. When you understand the "Why" behind your actions, you either find renewed purpose—or realize you’ve been chasing goals that were never really yours to begin with.
"Why" exposes the cracks in your thinking. It demands honesty. It demands introspection. But most importantly, it demands that you live intentionally, not reactively.
A Law School Story: When "Why" Saved Me
Back in 2016, I was laser-focused on going to law school. It was my plan. My undergraduate major was criminology, and every move I made was geared toward becoming an attorney. I had it all mapped out — the "what," the "where," and the "when" were clear. I planned to start at Georgetown in the spring of 2018 after cramming an exhausting number of classes into a short period, recovering from two previous college expulsions, and finally getting back on track.
Everything seemed to line up logically. I had chosen prestigious schools, considered backup options like Penn State, and mapped out my timeline perfectly. From the outside, it looked like a solid, responsible plan. But as the start date crept closer, something felt wrong. Despite checking all the rational boxes, a feeling of unease gnawed at me.
That's when it hit me: I had never asked myself the most important question—Why?
Why did I want to become an attorney? When I finally sat down and answered honestly, I realized my real motives boiled down to two things: status and money. I wasn’t passionate about law itself. I was chasing external validation and financial security. And when I spoke to real attorneys, many confirmed that the reality was far less glamorous than I had imagined. The sacrifices, the endless hours, and the slow financial payoff didn’t align with the life I wanted. Asking "why" saved me from a decade-long mistake.
A Career Crossroads: Learning from Engineering
The same pattern showed up earlier in my life when I first enrolled at Penn State as an engineering major. At the time, I was caught between industrial engineering and biomedical engineering. Biomedical engineering sounded particularly exciting because of my interest in prosthetics. It seemed like a noble, high-paying career path. Once again, I had mapped out the "what" and "where," but neglected the "why."
When people began asking about my motivations for engineering, it forced me to pause. Deep down, my real reason was embarrassingly simple: I wanted to make money. That was it. It wasn’t passion. It wasn’t curiosity. It was a paycheck. And if your sole motivation is money, there are thousands of other paths that require less sacrifice and better align with different lifestyles.
Asking "why" helped me avoid pursuing a life that didn’t fit who I was or what I ultimately wanted. It saved me from investing years of effort into a field that never truly excited me. Sometimes, we don’t need more discipline—we need better questions.
Children: The Natural Geniuses of Asking Why
One of the greatest reminders of the power of "why" comes from children. Kids are natural-born geniuses when it comes to asking questions. They interrogate the world around them without shame or hesitation: Why do we need to sleep? Why is the sky blue? Why do I have to go to school?
Every "why" a child asks is a search for deeper understanding. It's pure curiosity, untainted by fear of judgment. Unfortunately, over time, society beats the "why" out of us. Parents get tired of answering. Teachers discourage too many questions. As a result, children gradually stop asking "why"—and grow into adults who have stopped questioning their lives altogether.
Imagine how different the world would be if that curiosity were nurtured instead of shut down. Imagine if we carried the same fearless pursuit of truth into adulthood. We'd live more intentionally, think more critically, and create more meaningful lives.
Final Takeaways: Living a Higher Quality Life
The lesson my business coach taught me is simple but life-altering: The quality of your life is determined by the quality of the questions you ask. And among all the questions you can ask, none is more powerful than "why."\n\nIf you want a better career, a better relationship, a better life, start by asking better questions. Be relentlessly curious. Assume you know nothing. Seek out gaps in your knowledge and fill them intentionally. And above all, never stop asking "why."The next time you're making a decision—big or small—pause and ask yourself: Why am I doing this? Your future self will thank you for it.
About Leviticus Rich
Founder | Top Productivity Strategist | Author
Leviticus Rich is a leading voice in the world of productivity, personal mastery, and high-performance living. Through his flagship company, Productivity Accelerator, he empowers busy professionals and entrepreneurs to take control of their time, sharpen their focus, and achieve more in less time — without sacrificing their lives.
From best-selling planners to sought-after coaching programs, Leviticus is on a mission to help you unlock the best version of yourself.
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