How do you...

Ah, I can't tell you how many times a day I start a thought or sentence with, "How do you... ?"

"How do you replace a pedal that's snapped off your bike?"
"How do you clean the stains on the coffee dispenser, when all the tips you've read online still don't work?"
"How do you treat road rash without tearing up?"
"How do you get MS Project to allocate time the way you want it?"
"How do you get Outlook to synch with your Optonline account?"

Now, these are boring, task-oriented "How do you" questions.

Then, there are the deeper questions...

"How do you tell someone that, while you appreciate their passion for their religious choices, you really don't want to receive daily evangelical statements, without insulting them?"
"How do you ask the questions you've been dying to ask, that for your own sanity, you need the answers for, when you're not sure the other person is ready to ask? And if you ask, you'll kill the whole deal?"
"How do you know for sure you're in the clear with one business matter, when you've been assured on the phone, you're in the clear, but you receive documentation in the mail that says otherwise?"
"How do you convince a chief executive that they are making a really bad decision because they don't understand the situation, when you've explained the situation and the reasoning, without risking your job? And it's just their lack of experience in your field of expertise?"
"How do you try and explain to your kids that, no matter how badly they want to do something, it's absolutely not in their best interest, and the other party really is a wolf in sheep's clothing? And, when you have the ability to prevent any and all interaction, how do you do that without being the bad guy? (I mean above and beyond the usual bad guy)"

If only there were a "Book of Answers." I bought one, actually, for a friend, but, sadly, I know the trick of the book, and the fact that the answers are somewhere in me. Which, unfortunately, I know is true.

But once, just once, I wish I didn't have to look inside, face my fears/demons/what-have-you, and just flip to a page and have clear instructions as to what to do.