What is your “why”?

Psychology tells us that all behavior is purposeful. We engage in every behavior for a reason. We do it because we get something out of it even if we get an unconscious negative charge from it. It makes us feel good or it makes us feel bad but the bottom line is we are moved to do it. We choose every behavior on some level. We are moved toward what we want.

I watched a great TEDx talk by Simon Sinek called “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” and I’m reading his book “Start with Why”. He stated, “what you do proves what you believe.” (regardless of what you say you believe)

What you do PROVES what you believe! If not, then you are out of alignment with what you say you believe or you do not actually believe it. Which is it?

This is the ultimate personal accountability. Why am I writing about this? Because I’m in the process of changing some things in my life. I’ve been feeling the pressures of life, wanting things and experiences from life, feeling the pressures of society’s definitions of success (money & things), wanting more freedom in my life, wanting to shift my work, wanting satisfaction from all that I’m doing. Some things are just not the way I want them to be. I’ve bumped into a place that wants to evolve.

Taking responsibility for everything in our lives is the ultimate empowerment.

If you want your life to be different, then you must be, think, speak, and do different. If you disagree that what you do proves what you believe, then you are seriously out of alignment with yourself. And, it’s probably a rationalization. So, if you really want to be the way you believe, then you had better change some things. It’s not about blame. It’s about recognizing reality without judgment. Check it out for yourself.

Love yourself. Act like it. Share it. Change the world. (you don’t have to know how)

That’s my new motto. I’ve got some things to change, too. This is about BEING fully. This is part of the Clarity that I’ve been talking about it. It’s also helping me rediscover my “why” or Purpose.

You can have a personal Why for your life and you can have a Why for your work. They’re probably related but not necessarily the same. This is the inner voice or inner self that guides us toward what is real and meaningful for us. The practices…the acting that way…are the path.

Our “why” is our driver, the thing that motivates us. It’s our passion but it might not even need to feel that exciting. It can be as simple as “everything I do is to have a joyful life” or “to achieve financial freedom” or “to help the planet (or animals or people) by doing  ________” or “to produce creative & effective marketing materials that help local small businesses increase sales” or “to put a PC in every home in the world” or “to let every kid who comes through my classroom know they are loved” or “to help every client secure their dream home” or “to be a healer” or “to advocate for human rights” or “to make as small a footprint as possible on this planet” or “to be as healthy as I can be” or as my friend said, “to be a rock solid father”.

It’s not something you think. It is something that drives you from your depths.

What is your “why” that motivates your life?

This question is so much more important than all the “what’s” you do in your life. We focus so much on the what’s and how’s which are the superficial things. The “why” is life. Simon Sinek says, “they don’t by what you do, they buy WHY you do it!”

Sit still for a few minutes and feel into it. You might have to do this many times and think about the things that are most important to you. Let it bubble up. This cannot be excavated.

Clarity, Purpose, and Path.

The practices connecting us to mind, body, emotions, and spirit are how we get in touch with the stillness that guides us and the Why that drives us. Each step of greater presence or mindfulness on our unique path can move us toward freedom. In freedom we find happiness, health, and wealth. You get to define those for yourself.

The key to freedom is acknowledging the reality of the moment without resisting it.

In the state of aware presence, you can acknowledge whatever is there and work with it. The other option is struggling or fighting against what is, which results in suffering. Suffering is not freedom. My own experience with this is cycling in and out of all of it. I think that’s the way of it unless you happen to attain full enlightenment. This is why it’s called practice.

So,what is your Why? Practice this: Love yourself, act like it, share it, change the world.

Would love to read your “why” in the comments.