*This was originally posted on 2/18/18, but we thought you might enjoy it again.
Key Takeaways
- Your “Why” is your personal story, why you do what you do, what you care about.
- Many people go through life not knowing their why, and it can bog them down or make them go down paths that end up going nowhere for them because it doesn’t mesh with what they are truly about.
- Being clear on what your why is can help you be intentional and attentive to doing things that are relative to that, thus making you feel happier and more fulfilled in life.
The Olympics start on Friday, and if you watch them for any length of time, you’ll be inundated with the personal stories of the athletes. These stories always remind me of your personal “Why.” Why you are on this earth, why you are doing what you are doing. You can look at my personal story on our website and see my why, but my why has always been the same: it’s helping people about money. I get up every day and all I want to do is help one person solve one money issue, and that makes me really happy.
I didn’t know what my personal why was until maybe six or seven years ago when I heard a man named Bo Eason speak. His name may sound familiar since he used to play for the Houston Oilers, and his brother, Tony Eason, played for the Patriots and Jets. Bo now travels around the country and helps people find their why, their personal story.
You might think, “What’s the big deal about that?” Well, I think a lot of people, and I was one not long ago, can end up going through life not knowing what it is that they are all about. They end up doing things that don’t mesh with what they really care about or who they truly are. You want to be intentional and attentive to what your why is, and do everything relative to that, and the sooner you can find out your personal why, the better.
Bo has a great video that explains where this why develops. He highlights stories of famous athletes, and what’s interesting about them is that almost every single one of them initially failed spectacularly at their sport. These failures became the kind of spark that made them each go harder after their sport to eventually become great at it. We’re going to probably hear that a lot with the athletes at the Olympics over the next few weeks. You’re going to hear these personal stories of triumph and tribulation on how they became skiers, ice skaters, hockey players, and so forth.
While we may not be professional athletes like the Olympians, it’s still just as important for us to be clear about what we are here for, what we care about, what our why is. Everyone wants to know what people’s whys are, it’s important to them, they want to know why you do what you do. Take a look at that for yourself if you don’t already know your why. Watch Bo’s video, and maybe something will click if you don’t already know your why.
Until next time, enjoy!
Gary
If you’d like to read more on this topic, here are a few of Gary’s previous posts that you might enjoy:
