By Tim Smith

It’s so easy when you see someone to ask the defacto question: "How are you doing?" It’s usually a wasted question… almost everyone gives the same answers: "Good" or "Fine.” This is especially true with men. When someone says "Good" or "Fine," they’re usually lying, or at least hiding what’s really going on in their lives and how they may be hurting, frustrated, or even exhausted.

Instead, why don’t you true something different? These are three simple but powerful questions that help to draw people out:

1. What are you excited about?
2. What are you working on?
3. What are you hoping for?

These questions invite more than a polite response. They open a door to a person’s passions, pressures, and possibilities.

A good question will get past the surface… and the armor we usually put on around each other. Give it try...