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WHAT IS YOUR 'WHY?'

Updated: Feb 24, 2019


What is that 'thing' that keeps you going no matter the circumstances; that thing that fires you, inspires you and moves you to act in spite of it all.


I'm sure you were dealt a bad hand, and I'm sorry that you have. This travail we call 'life' invariably leaves psychic scars in us all, and it's sad. Terribly sad. If people would just stop hurting each other, the world would be a much better place, right?


Right - I get it. I do.


But let's you and me try to move past dealing with 'shoulds', at least for the moment. Life should be a million things; fair, beautiful, painless and a veritable bucolic Elysium of joy. It should be...but it isn't.


Spend 80% of your time working with things as they are and 20% of the time working towards what you believe they should be like.

This harsh reality doesn't mean that we should give up on that dream. If I want to get to point B, I must first accept that I am at point A and only then can I begin to plot and plan my route. Life itself being a journey, should be approached no differently.


My experience in the States taught me this brutal lesson; traumatised by the culture shock, limited financial resources and racial aggression that my wife and I faced, I became consumed by what was going wrong. Soon after, it began to show in my expressions, in my actions, in a marked (and stark) pessimism and then slowly...in one of my grades. Yes, it was only a minor slip-up in one subject, but given that I was on an accelerated course and a retake would cost me several thousand dollars, it shook me out of my stupor and made me realise something:


SPEND 80% OF YOUR TIME WORKING WITH THINGS AS THEY ARE AND 20% OF THE TIME WORKING TOWARDS WHAT YOU BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE LIKE.


Racism is a reality in my existence in the same way that sexism is a part of my wife's. Oppression is real, as are hatred, and bigotry. 80% of the time I work hard in spite of these things, and the rest of the time (such as on this website), make efforts to build the world as I believe it should be.


Until your 'why' becomes stronger, larger, wider and greater than your fears, anxieties and self-pity, you will continue to live far far far below your potential. And that's not just a disaster for you, but for the entire world

Each of us is born with something unique, brilliant and ingenious that will ennoble this world. As Les Brown says, if we don't bring our gifts forward to the world in their unique form, no one will. It's not so much that it's a duty to serve, but rather, that we do a disservice to the world by not limiting the effects of internal obstacles inimical to the expression of our full potential.


What is my 'why?' To become the greatest version of my self so that I will die in full knowledge I did everything to improve the quality of life of other human beings. This why keeps me awake, keeps me battling on despite illness, pain, despair and a past I share with only a few. Because of this why, I do not need 'motivation' and though I hear the voice of procrastination, it rarely influences my action.


Until your 'why' becomes stronger, larger, wider and greater than your fears, anxieties and self-pity, you will continue to live far far far below your potential. And that's not just a disaster for you, but for the entire world; wouldn't it be a shame if that's how your life were to end - half-lived, half-fulfilled, half-striven?


Live a life that you will look back on your deathbed with pride - your greatest fear should be the possibility of this not being the case.


Find your 'why.' Make your mark. Change the world.

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