© Copyright by Greg Dessum 2026

 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or modified in any form, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

 

Greg Dessum

 

Ask (For) Better Life

 

The book’s full version (PDF/EPUB) is available on https://leanpub.com/askforbetterlife

 

Table Of Contents

 

Foreword; Explanations; Practical Advice; Activity; Authority; Car; Changes; Desired Results; Development; Earth; Eco-friendliness; Family; Fashion; Happiness; Health; Holidays; Home; Intoxicating Substances; Law; Life; Mass Media; Money; Other; People; Possibilities; Postphysical Life; Religions; Safety; Self-awareness; Sobering Questions; Technologies And Devices; Time(s); Truth.

 

Foreword

 

Hello, Dear Reader.

 

I’m glad that you’ve decided to reach for this text. Thanks. I could write lots of different things in this foreword, but let me include here the most important information about the book.

 

You’re reading an untypical text. Maybe of a type you hadn’t read before. It’s a result of my 20-year collection of many different materials which, as I thought, were/are/will be especially significant, valuable, useful and/or prone to staying on my mind. This is a substantial amount of content and resources needed for preserving it, hence I wanted to save them all in a way. It’s more difficult to do something than to let it be wasted.

 

I also desired to share data which allowed me to make my life better somehow. I feel it can be helpful to other people as well. Human existence on Earth can be hard, unpleasant, complicated, overwhelming and/or similar. Even to such a degree that it’s impossible to carry on. At the same time, a person can improve his/her situation at least a little, step by step. The problem is (s)he often doesn’t do it for different reasons.

 

One of the main ones is not knowing how exactly. An individual can think (s)he needs some elaborate, sophisticated, advanced, special, acrobatic, rare, chosen, hidden, occult and/or similar knowledge and/or skill(s) to modify his/her life for the better, but it’s nonsense. A change (or a series of many) starts frequently upon encountering one proper question which can be very simple. Unfortunately, a human usually doesn’t find such a query, mainly for lack of inspiration.

 

This text alters this situation. It contains more than 1000 questions for a better life (divided into 30 sections), so is a treasure trove of inspiring ideas in this respect, full of them. I wanted to make it maximally timeless, universal, comprehensive (raise as many matters which influence human existence quality as possible) and consider it done. Even one inquiry can have a big potential to begin a transformation, let alone 1000+ (especially available in one place as here).

 

Besides, I desired to make this book maximally short, practical and free from redundant fluff. Although it addresses numerous different topics, it merely suggests certain directions and you as the Reader have to expand upon the specific ones you wish. If this text was to exhaust all the covered subjects, it would have several thousand pages. Creating it would take maaany more resources than it did as well as reading it.

 

This book is not a miracle get-everything-you-want-overnight formula. Its aim is to provide you with plenty of ideas how to improve your situation, but it is you who have to make every desired change. If you want it more than not, you’ll certainly make it, for instance find the right people, information, resources. You’ll ask (for) better life and get it. Simply. This is also what I sincerely wish you in every sphere you plan to alter.

 

Greg Dessum,

The author

 

 

Explanations

 

The abbreviations and words below used in this book have the following meaning:

- Authority - Power; control. It’s one of the topic sections

- FI - For instance

- Holidays - Festive days; celebrations. It’s one of the topic sections

- Postphysical life - Afterlife; existence other than that of a physical body. It’s one of the topic sections

- Remote contact - Communication other than face-to-face physically with another person, carried out over a distance and usually a medium as well, FI telephone

- Travel - General movement of an individual, not only as a tourist. It concerns traffic in the safety section.

 

Practical Advice

 

I think every reader of this text can gain something from it, yet the biggest benefits should be possible thanks to such traits of the person (these aren’t iron rules, however):

 

1. (S)he really wants to make his/her life better (as befits the title of this book). The individual has enough goodwill to make his/her desired change (by own initiative, without external pressure) more than to maintain the status quo; is mature enough to do it, including willing to work on him-/herself, self-aware and mentally strong.

 

2. (S)he knows that every improvement is a change, which makes things never be the same again, even if an alteration is undone (the person still knows then (s)he modified something and reversed it afterwards). Besides, one transformation can fuel others, even many (snowball effect), but the more of them, the more new results, FI ending at least some old relationships with people and forming new ones.

 

3. (S)he’s aware that the contents of this book are meant for self-work with its whole aftermath. You alone are your coach, guide and self-made (wo)man in your better life. First of all, only you determine the features of your action plan, especially its topic(s), pace, time and place. Thanks to this you have much more freedom than working with someone else when the above details have to suit both parties. Moreover, solely you know the information you deal with, so there’s full discretion and privacy (it’s a great solution for somebody who wants to keep at least some data to him-/herself, FI eliminates the fear what another individual will think). However, it’s important that the self-work results you get depend only on your own contribution.

 

4. (S)he accepts that true information gives the best outcomes. A lie makes a change more difficult, if not impossible. Every truthful answer to a question is good, though at first sight it may seem demanding, untypical, stupid, absurd, senseless, touchy, shameful, sick, bad and/or similar. Actually, you can accept your replies just as they are and abandon assessing them. Extremely, you could judge every answer negatively, but what would be the point then?

 

Can you change on your own? Of course. Everyone who wants to better his/her life somehow knows him-/herself well enough to do it, especially due to occupying a specific physical body his/her whole life (it’s not another individual, a separate and external entity, who occupies it). Hence you are the best expert on yourself in this sense, including the awareness of what you want to modify.

Now, how should you use this text? Fully as you want, there’s no single and/or rigid way to do it. It is you who should benefit most from this book. Some ideas:

 

1. You can start from the beginning, but also the end, half or any other place you choose (FI visit a random one each time you read).

 

2. You can tackle only a part of this text, but I wholeheartedly encourage you to take the full tour. Naturally, doing the latter in one go can be too much, so simply divide the work into many smaller steps.

 

3. Use the book when bored and/or having nothing better to do, FI commuting by public transport, waiting in a queue. You can prepare earlier the topics you’d like to address (FI write them on your telephone; print them), but mind their sensible amount for a given session.

 

4. Enjoy your work with the text, FI create an interesting routine connected with it; turn it into your regular/daily companion. Maybe looking up just 2 random questions each day sounds fine. Remember than even a single one has an impact.

 

5. Although the book contains many different topics (to show a wider array of possibilities), don’t stick only to them. Explore every other subject not included herein which you want.

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 13 ideas in total)

(...)

 

Activity

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 103 questions in total)

 

1. What do I wish I knew/did in the past? FI 1/2/5/10/15/20/more day(s)/month(s)/year(s) ago

(...)

12. What will other people think, say and/or do if I ...? FI who specifically

(...)

26. Does my work give me my desired results?

(...)

39. What makes me calm/worried/relaxed/tense? FI gives peace of mind

(...)

58. What helps me persevere/carry on (in ...)?

(...)

79. What can I introduce into my life right away?

(...)

91. Do I (still) want/like to participate in the rat race?

92. What is (not) worth my resources?

(...)

 

Authority

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 12 questions in total)

 

2. What creates my life more: my self-authority or the power of some external entities?

(...)

 

Car

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 5 questions in total)

 

5. Where, when and/or how can I use means of transport other than my car? FI small shopping at a local place done on foot or by bicycle; rush hour.

(...)

 

Changes

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 13 questions in total)

 

11. What’s (already) (totally) ineffective for me and requires replacement? (FI now; instantly; ASAP; unconditionally) What do I want to replace it with?

(...)

 

Desired Results

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 83 questions in total)

 

7. What do I (really) want/desire in ...?

(...)

15. What will achieving ... give me?

(...)

30. What distinguishes my real desires from others? FI false; pushed onto me by commercials/advertisements; seen in other people

(...)

41. What shows/tells me that ... is (not) appropriate (for me)? FI a solution; way; strategy

(...)

55. Do I have a(ny) reason(s) to regret something I don’t want to experience?

(...)

60. Do I have to/Must I have the same results as a specific person? If so, why? FI what’s so special about him/her/these results.

(...)

 

Development

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 14 questions in total)

 

5. What develops/regresses me?

(...)

 

Earth

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 27 questions in total)

 

15. What’s ... for me on Earth? FI familiar; alien; backward; reversed; most easy; difficult

16. Does Earth meet my norms/standards ...? (FI as a place to live; in a sphere) Why (not)?

(...)

 

Eco-friendliness

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 11 questions in total)

 

4. How can I limit the amount of waste I produce? FI sell redundant things; rent them; donate; give someone for free.

(...)

 

Family

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 15 questions in total)

 

6. Who is especially close, important and/or trusted to me in my family?

(...)

 

Fashion

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 8 questions in total)

 

1. What’s fashionable now in ...? FI house types; interior designs; companies; brands; cars; looks; words; behaviors; devices; websites; Youtube video topics; events; TV programs; movies; theater spectacles; songs; books; physical/spiritual activities; places to visit; medications; dishes; seasonings; spices; fruits; vegetables; attitudes to nature; to other people.

(...)

 

Happiness

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 9 questions in total)

 

5. If results which make me happy don’t pay (themselves) off, are they worth experiencing/it for me? FI worth my money; energy; time.

(...)

 

Health

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 49 questions in total)

 

3. Do I take regular care of my health or when it’s (already) too late?

(...)

14. What addiction(s) do I have?

(...)

33. What’s my stress level? If too high, how can I effectively decrease it?

(...)

37. Do I dress suitably for the weather?

(...)

44. What do I do when in pain? FI physical; mental; I find its causes and remove them; escape; desensitize/intoxicate myself.

(...)

 

Holidays

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 10 questions in total)

 

9. What does/did ... bring into my life? FI Easter; Christmas; Halloween; Black Friday/Week; another holiday I celebrate(d); so far; last; annual.

(...)

 

Home

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 15 questions in total)

 

2. Do I consider myself a citizen of ...? FI the earthly country where I was born in my current physical body; the whole universe; some other administrative unit; especially; most; only

(...)

11. Do I feel good enough in my current abode that I want to stay there? If not, where would I rather live? FI what village; city; country; surroundings; woods; seaside; mountains; an island.

(...)

 

Intoxicating Substances

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 8 questions in total)

 

2. Why drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and/or take narcotics? FI what are its benefits.

(...)

 

Law

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 5 questions in total)

 

2. Does every law consider ...? FI common sense; customs of a place where it’s in force.

(...)

 

Life

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 26 questions in total)

 

1. Am I surviving or living truly?

(...)

16. What am I living for?

(...)

 

Mass Media

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 11 questions in total)

 

5. What entertainment did I provide myself with in the past? How did it affect me?

(...)

 

Money

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 29 questions in total)

 

8. If I have too little money, how much more do I want to have and/or how can I earn it? FI by passive income; investments; my own firm; cooperation with someone’s firm (FI a friend; family member)

(...)

18. How much do(es) ... cost me? FI monthly

(...)

25. How can I achieve ... without money?

(...)

 

Other

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 55 questions in total)

 

11. What makes it (im)possible/easier/more difficult to check/verify ...? FI the veracity of a theory; piece of information

(...)

25. Is there a way if there’s a will?

(...)

41. What used to have a different status than today? FI was rare, yet is common; was a luxury and is normal nowadays; was prestigious, but is embarrassing.

(...)

 

People

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 120 questions in total)

 

2. How much contact with other people do I want/need?

(...)

15. How does a person affect me? FI by mere presence; annoys me; gives me good energy

16. Who is ... for me? FI a hero; (anti)paragon

(...)

37. What can I do/be done mainly/only in solitude? FI because contact with other individuals offers different stimuli which hinder this activity too much

(...)

58. Do I have to/Must I explain myself to other people? FI to everyone; on everything

(...)

75. What characteristics do most people have? FI what they own; say; do

(...)

90. What distinguishes ... from someone pretending to be one? FI a genuine expert

(...)

99. What makes an individual great?

100. When is a person ahead of his/her time?

(...)

117. Do you have to do as the Romans do when in Rome?

(...)

 

Possibilities

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 38 questions in total)

 

2. What’s (not) possible for me in ...?

(...)

6. Are all my choices equal? Why (not)?

7. What does/did a specific choice mean in my life? FI what it makes/has made possible

(...)

31. What if ...? FI I apply the rule “never say never;” stop doubting myself; being a victim.

(...)

 

Postphysical Life

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 20 questions in total)

 

5. Do I accept that my current physical body will die? Why (not)?

(...)

14. What is death to me? FI the end of me; a relocation to another world; fantastic experience; drama; tragedy I’ll never shake off

(...)

20. What would a deceased person like to convey to still alive people who’re in some way connected with him/her? FI to assure them that (s)he’s fine, just in a non-physical life form; to encourage them to enjoy their lives until they last; that all ceremonies pertaining to the death of his/her physical body are redundant.

(...)

 

Religions

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 12 questions in total)

 

2. If I practice a religion, do I know what I really believe in within it?

(...)

 

Safety

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 72 questions in total)

 

4. How do I care about my safety? FI personal details

(...)

11. If I’m in a state too unsuitable for driving a(ny) vehicle, do I ask for help a person (FI a friend who’s with me) who has a right/license to drive it, take a taxi, private transport or public transport? FI I’m too intoxicated; tired; angry

(...)

29. Do I park all vehicles I use only in places suitable enough for this? FI where other traffic users have enough space to pass through

(...)

43. What problems would result from damaging or losing my belongings? FI having my telephone stolen; what contacts would I lose; confidential data; call registers; messages; photos; videos; audio files

(...)

59. What affects the behaviors of human crowds? FI features of crowd psychology

(...)

69. What (has) surprised me in the past? FI unpleasantly; on a journey; how can I prepare (better/best) for it.

(...)

 

Self-awareness

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 211 questions in total)

 

2. What does it mean to be myself/human to me?

(...)

17. What do I say about ... and what other people say about ...? FI a person; thing; phenomenon; it’s advisable to specify which people

(...)

29. Do I accept myself the way I really am? If not, why?

(...)

38. What solutions do I (not) like? FI efficient; creative; ingenious; untypical; niche; alternative; my own; of other people

(...)

52. What do I (already) know without a need, obligation, dictate, compulsion, necessity and/or something similar to experience it? FI from observing other people; their experiences

(...)

74. When, where, how and/or why am I tormented by different emotions? FI extreme; mixed

(...)

86. Am I easy/difficult to intimidate? If so, why, when, where and/or how?

(...)

99. What worries me especially/most?

100. What taboo(s) do I have?

(...)

110. Am I average, above or below this level in ...?

(...)

121. When do I remain silent, but should/need to talk?

(...)

135. Why do I ignore myself in ...? FI pretend to be deaf; blind

(...)

147. Am I now where I really want to be? If so, why? If not, where would I rather be?

(...)

161. Do I (still) recognize ...? FI a place where I grew up

(...)

174. What should I/do I need to question? FI what status quo

(...)

187. What do I need to tell myself ...? FI honestly; directly; strongly

(...)

198. What/Who is meant/destined for me?

(...)

208. In what sphere(s) am I wise/stupid?

209. What can’t I hide from myself (anymore)?

(...)

 

Sobering Questions

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 29 questions in total)

 

2. (My name), what has happened to you (in ...)?

(...)

13. What do I have no more patience with?

(...)

24. Am I ... (FI totally crazy; insane; fucked up) to ...? FI even (dare to) think about ... (FI an unwanted result)

25. Have I lost my mind to ...? FI experience my specific unwanted result(s).

(...)

 

Technologies And Devices

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 20 questions in total)

 

1. How does a device with a screen affect me? (FI a TV set; telephone; computer) How often do I use it? FI how many times per minute; hour; day

(...)

8. Am I (still) alive if I have no profile on Facebook and/or some other popular website(s)?

(...)

13. Does maintaining and/or using all machines, devices and technologies I use pull me away too strongly from other spheres of my life? If so, (from) which?

(...)

 

Time(s)

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 21 questions in total)

 

9. What is high time for me to do?

(...)

17. Are only the present times ... or were others I experienced ... as well? FI hard; easy.

(...)

 

Truth

 

(this section of the book’s full version contains 16 questions in total)

 

8. Does the truth always have to be difficult, bitter, painful, bad and/or similar whereas the lie easy, sweet, pleasant, good and/or similar?

(...)

 

The book’s full version (PDF/EPUB) is available on https://leanpub.com/askforbetterlife