We find ourselves in unexpected, sometimes dangerous, situations and oftentimes the best way to handle it comes to mind after it's over. But is there one simple question to ask ourselves that gives us the proper way to handle everything while it is happening? Yes.

Whether you are being called from work to pick up your sick child at school, get invited to something you really don't want to attend or end up in a bank during a robbery, you need to know how to keep your cool and handle the situation correctly.

The most important question to ask yourself in any situation is this:

"What is the best way to handle this situation?"

The reason this is the best question is because your mind will answer whatever you ask it. Your mind is the most powerful of computers yet, if you're like the rest of us, you are more accustomed to searching the internet (created by someone's mind, incidentally) than checking in with own your built-in computer.

The key is to ask good, positive questions to get good, empowering answers. For example, your child gets sick at school and you need to leave work in the middle of an important project with a fast approaching deadline. Your first thoughts are a flurry of questions; none of which will help you.

"How did he get sick only an hour into the school day when he was fine this morning?"

"How am I going to meet this deadline now?"

"What is my boss going to say when I just took time off yesterday for a doctor's appointment?

"If my son is still sick tomorrow, who will I get to stay with him or will my boss let me work on this from home and what if I get sick too, then how will I get my work done...?

Although these questions won't help you, they will certainly raise your stress level because contemplating their answers inspires new disempowering questions. What you need to do in this situation is go pick up your son, period. The other questions can all be answered later and, amazingly enough, by asking the same simple question: "What is the best way to handle this situation?"

So, if you're in a bank robbery and you are one of the 9 out of 10 people who gasp and hold their breath, freezing up under stress. Simply asking the one simple question: "What is the best way to handle this situation?" You may get an answer like, "Exhale." It's simple but it will allow your adrenaline to circulate and that allows you to think clearly. Thinking clearly may entail asking that same simple question 15 more times during the ordeal but it will always give you the best answer and course of action.