{"id":31769,"date":"2019-02-01T11:05:44","date_gmt":"2019-02-01T16:05:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/creator\/?p=31769"},"modified":"2020-02-26T14:31:23","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T19:31:23","slug":"4-simple-questions-that-lead-to-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/research-insights\/expert-insights\/4-simple-questions-that-lead-to-success","title":{"rendered":"Four simple questions that lead to success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Zachary Wood is comfortable being uncomfortable. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He grew up with a mother fighting mental health issues and attended private school while living in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. As a student at Williams College, he was president of Uncomfortable Learning, a student group that promoted free speech and open dialogues about difficult subjects. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since graduating, Wood has parlayed his willingness to ask tough questions into a journalism career, and he\u2019s shared his personal story in a TED Talk and book, <\/span>Uncensored: My Life and Uncomfortable Conversations at the Intersection of Black and White America<\/span><\/i><\/a>, in the hopes that it will inspire others to have frank conversations.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood has been a champion for human empathy\u2014a superpower quality, to be sure. As he explained to an audience of WeWork employees at the \u201cSuperpower You\u201d panel discussion at the company\u2019s recent Global Summit<\/a> in Los Angeles, for him the path to success starts with four simple questions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
“Your life has strengthened you in ways you realize, and ways you don’t yet know,” says journalist and author Zachary Wood.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What motivates you? <\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne thing that motivates me was learning, of gaining a deeper knowledge of humanity and how I can connect with my peers,\u201d he says. Even as a child, Wood was endlessly curious about the world around him\u2014to the point where teachers criticized him for asking too many questions. His two-hour commute from inner-city D.C. to school in an affluent Maryland suburb was arduous, but seeing his father work three jobs to send him there kept Wood motivated to achieve. At Williams College, he used his experience to connect with fellow students about controversial issues and tapped into his passion\u2014seeking uncomfortable conversations and encouraging others to do the same, so that we can all understand one another better.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What brings you joy? <\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most significant events in Wood\u2019s young life, he says, was when his mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Wood quickly learned that \u201cthere is power in vulnerability. In acknowledging our weakness, we get a better understanding of ourselves.\u201d While his mother encouraged and shaped his curious mind, their sometimes-volatile relationship forced him to explore new ways of finding hope. When times were difficult, Wood found joy in learning\u2014and he has returned to it repeatedly over his life, as a sort of internal compass. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can you learn from looking at your life?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It can be easy to lose perspective when life gets hectic, but that\u2019s when Wood most relies on this question\u2014to remind him of how far he\u2019s come, and where he needs to go. Reflection has helped Wood identify the three pillars of his life: gratitude, resilience, and humility. He recalls the advice of a high school English teacher who told him, \u201cYour life has strengthened you in ways you realize, and ways you don\u2019t yet know.\u201d Seeing challenges as opportunities for growth is an important way to move forward in life and in work, Wood says. \u201cI\u2019m not just here because I have strengths and assets, but because I was able to find opportunities to make the best of them,\u201d he explains. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you love? <\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Wood, \u201clove is the most potent force in the world.\u201d Aligning yourself with your passion is the backbone of success and productivity, he says. As Wood navigates connecting with others in an increasingly fractured world, he explains, the idea of love\u2014for the work he does and for the people around him\u2014keeps him dedicated and open to change. His prediction: Learning to see love \u201cin all its manifestations\u201d can help us forge a greater connection to who we are, what we do, and the people we do it with.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Writer Zachary Wood’s path to achievement began when he started to have frank conversations with himself and others<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":913,"featured_media":31773,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43906,43901],"tags":[515,525],"class_list":["post-31769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-expert-insights","category-research-insights","tag-productivity","tag-personal-growth"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFour simple questions that lead to success<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For journalist and author Zachary Wood, his path to achievement began when he started to have frank conversations, with himself and others.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" 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