In the everyday transactions of life; earning a living, being a partner and a parent, buying and selling homes, developing friendships - I have encountered breathtaking acts of spontaneity, connection and kindness and met people who have brought me true joy.



But there have also been others who have confounded me with their agendas, astonished me with their cruelty, mystified me with their negativity and puzzled me with their lack of integrity.

For too long I let myself be caught up in these behaviours, expending my time and energy trying to understand them, trying to get them to behave reasonably, and trying to find a compromise with them.

So finally I stopped asking myself about other people’s behaviours and starting asking about my own.



You cannot move forward or change things if you do not know exactly where you are at and what you are doing, really doing. This can be confronting as then there is no excuse for not knowing anymore and not doing something about what needs to be changed in your life.



This is where the question “Are you serious?” becomes very powerful. There is no going back, hiding or pleading ignorance if you have asked and answered a question in this book.



The question then turns into “Are you serious?” - and consequently - what are you going to do about it?

This book contains a collection of questions that I constantly ask myself. They have helped me decide who I am, how I want my life to be and keep me in touch consciously with the choices I am making (or considering making or, God forbid sometimes not making – at least for a while anyway).



They help me assess where I am, where I have been, what I am doing now and help to keep me focussed and aware.

If you ask yourself these questions I hope they help you to be the person you want to be and how you want your life to look.