Making "Why" Your Favorite Word

If the question of "why" is frustrating to you it is for one simple reason, you don't yet realize how it is at the core of everything you do.

You have a why for everything you do, everything. Why do you eat? Because your body needs food and food is amazing! Why do you work? Because you need to feed your family, you're trying to pay off debt, or you're saving towards a goal. Why does a single parent mother or father work two jobs? Because he or she refuses to allow his or her kids to suffer. 

However, the question is not necessarily, "Why do you do what you do?" The questions are, "Is your why strong enough to sustain what you are doing? Is your why important enough for you to keep doing what you're doing or should you be doing something else? "

If your why is unclear it will be easy for you to get distracted, discouraged, or deterred. This is why businesses create mission statements, it is there why, it is meant to keep them focused in the midst of the daily chaos of business. Your why needs to be strong enough to keep you focused, simple enough for you to remember, and powerful enough to compel you in the midst of adversity.

During World War II Winston Churchill was approached by someone in his administration about cutting all funding for art programs in schools in order to use the money towards the war efforts. He responded by asking, "Then what are we fighting for?" In essence, if we take away the freedom to express oneself, to learn, and to grow, then why are we fighting? His why was too important to cause him to back down or to strip things from his people that he knew characterized freedom.

If you start things, but tend to easily throw in the towel it is because you need to strengthen your why. You need to have more answers to "Why?" then "Why not?" You need to ask yourself over and over, "Why am I doing what I am doing?" Refuse to get frustrated by the question, allow it to become a filter for useless action and an agent of greater determination. Learn to make "Why" your favorite word.