Reasons Why

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“He who has a strong enough why to live for can overcome almost any how.’ Friedrich Nietzsche

A why is that thing in your head and in your heart that motivates you. Not just for a day. Or a week. Or for the month after we make New Year’s resolutions. A true why drives sustained behavior. Drives constant growth. Drives us to reach our goals. To fulfill our potential. And pushes our ceilings higher.

Whys are different for all of us. You may find your why in your kids. In your mother or father. Your why could be a pursuit of greatness. Or your thirst for a better life. For you, or for loved ones. Your why could be a movement that you are passionate about. Something you believe so strongly in, that it consumes you.

I get messages from people often. That they are having trouble with life. Some are just uninspired. Some struggle to pursue anything with vigor. Some even struggle to get out of bed in the morning.

These people have no why in their lives at all. And everyone needs a why.

I know that life is hard. I don’t fault anyone for down times. Or sad times. Or truly depressed times. From presidents to prison inmates, hard times fall on us all. In the course of a long life you will hit bottom many times. For some, you will experience one really long bottom. I know what these things all feel like.

But a real strong why will bring you out of the dark. And into light. It will bring you back into life.

And why isn’t solely about career success. You don’t have to be on the cover of Forbes to make your life worth living. You could be an amazing friend. An amazing son or daughter. An amazing father or mother. An amazing spouse. An amazing volunteer. Or yes, have some amazing career.

If you are struggling right now, for inspiration, for drive. You need to find your own why. You need to search deep down in the depths of who you are and what you value. And pull out that thing. Or those things. That can and do drive you.

If you haven’t yet been able to find yours, maybe this will put you on the path to do so:

You want to know why you should get after it?

It’s because you might only have one life to live. This could be all there is. And if this is it, do you want to waste your time away? Do you want to sit there, when there is a meaningful life out there ready to be had? Ready to be lived?

Whether you believe in afterlife or not. This life…exists only once. And is either being lived by you or it’s not.

You want a why? Because your life. That one life you have to live. It’s going to end. It could end as soon as tomorrow. Maybe even today.

That’s why you live right now. That’s why you use every bit of energy you have, to squeeze out every last drop.

You want a why? Because you have it so much better than so many other people in this world. Because you weren’t born in Darfur. Or Haiti. Or anywhere that is so poverty stricken or so war torn that you don’t even get an opportunity. You have a chance at things like education. A job. Food. Running water. A safe environment that allows you to grow. We call these Samali pirates animals. I’d like to see what would happen to you if you grew up in their circumstances.

People in 1st world countries think their ghettos are bad places. People from 3rd world countries move to those same ghettos and can’t believe how good they have it.

You want to know why? Because you’ve been given all these abilities. And they are wasting away on your couch. They are lying dormant in front of your TV. They are dying a slow death in front of your computer screen.

I go to bed every night. And pray to a god that I don’t even know exists. And I pray that I live up to and fulfill all this potential that He’s given me. That I take advantage of all these gifts that my parents have passed down to me. That I take all these blessings that have been bestowed upon me, for no apparent reason.

I attack the day because of that. An all out assault on making myself better. Pushing myself to make a difference in this world. My potential grows as I grow. I have broken through whatever ceiling people thought I had. Several times now. And I plan on continuing to do that until people no longer see a ceiling over my head.

Because I know, that no ceiling is there. Not for me. Not for you.

If you are coming here, reading this. Seeking the same knowledge I seek. Then that tells me something. It tells me you have a conscious. That you are thirsty. That you are ready to do more. That you are ready to be better.

You want to know why?

Because what’s the alternative? To just sit there? And do nothing? While your precious minutes waste away? While they evaporate? A minute wasted is a minute of your life gone. Forever.

That is why.

Now get up. And get at it.