Guest Blog: The Power of Why
The Power of Why
When chasing a dream, there comes a point in everyone’s life that obstacles come along. We always encourage people to dream big and many people have risen to that call.
Do you remember where you were when you decided to do something big? When you opened your business, got a new job, entered a committed relationship, or made some big goal? At some point, you decided that you were going to do something big and live up to that dream. Thinking back on that moment of deciding to create a big goal to get your dream, do you remember why?
When we talk about your “why”, we mean we want to know why you decided to take that step, why that dream spoke to you. Some of the common whys people have include:
- Wanting to gain financial independence
- Wanting a better place to live
- Creating a feeling of personal fulfillment
- Improve quality of life
- Freeing up time for other goals
- Start a legacy for children and grandkids
- Support parents
- Give back to a community
- More financial independence
Whatever your why is, having a strong knowledge of it is going to help you succeed in chasing your dream.
Why Your “Why” Matters
There is a gap between fulfillment of dreams and the challenges you are going to face on the way. Everyone experiences it. Dreams come easily but making them a reality is a different story. To fill the gap, you need to know your why. Your why will fill that gap and your awareness will be the strength of that bridge.
Your why may be too dim if you cannot remember it or it does not motivate you anymore. If you are still wanting your dream, think about what your why is now. It is okay for your why to change and evolve as your dream evolves. The power comes from having a why.
One way to test the strength of your why is to ask, “What if I don’t?” Take a genuine look at your life and think about what if you don’t take that risk or make that change? Your life will be similar to what it is now and think about how that makes you feel.
Dream Big!
There is nothing you will see someone have, do, or experience that cannot be yours too. There are obstacles and limitations like fears, challenges, and insecurities. Real or imagined, the obstacles can be overcome if our why is strong enough. You will overcome the fear, rejection, and challenges that will always come along.
You will have to invest time, overcome insecurities and self-doubt, and more. When seeing other people achieving their dreams remember that there is nothing to stop you from succeeding but yourself. Those bumps and obstacles will add to your experience.
You will have competing voices in your head, but the one you choose to believe will determine your power. Most people fail because of an undecided heart. You must feel committed and search for a solution, not an escape.
Overcoming Challenges
What way do you default when you hit an obstacle or challenge? Some people are lost in the fire and others are made stronger by it. Life is not perfect, but great moments are born from great opportunity.
Everyone faces daily obstacles. You have to get out of your comfort zone and get comfortable in the uncomfortable. Determination and hard work are important, but they are powered by your why. It will push you through hard times. Decide on your response to challenges and then push forward.
Through life, you will meet people who say you cannot reach your dream. People who tell you that you can’t, they are not talking to you, they are talking to themselves. They can’t, but you can!
Reinvent yourself if you need to. Adjust how you see yourself. You live out your personal beliefs about yourself.
It is a process and evolves. How you see yourself can do that and it will keep changing. Let your personal growth evolve and believe that you can. Change how people see you and how you see yourself.
Rewrite your story and the next chapter. You write who you are, which will strengthen and free you. What is your identity today? Are you a person who keeps a list of things you have done wrong? Is your self-perception a list of your fears? Or is it rooted in the future and how you will create the skills, build the habits, and become a little bit bigger than you are now?
We all love getting a yes in life, but don’t let no affect you for a millisecond. You won’t remember the no when you are celebrating from your nice vacation, awesome job, or dream home balcony.
Give Dreams Time
Persistence, determination, and time matter. Years of sinking, sacrifice, and tragedy were possible because I was willing to give one more act of bravery, trying one more time. If you can remember your why, just give it another try.
No one ever knows how close they are to the edge of a breakthrough. It is like in childbirth when a woman thinks that she cannot do labor anymore. In reality, she will have a baby just 45 minutes later. She just needs to keep at it.
Reaching your dream will not happen overnight. Remember that small decisions will shape the quality of your life. Private victories proceed public ones. Everything you do will decide what you earn and what you learn.
Where do you want to be 5 years? In your goal setting planner, where would you say you want to be financially, spiritually, career path-wise? No one assigned you your life. You can change it any time. If you don’t know where you want to be, you’re already there.
Anything you choose- faith or fear, lazy or push through, it all accumulates. Just like spending or eating. It is the same with achieving victories. You are where you are because of choices accumulated over time. Over the next 365 days, you can change where you are and get to that 5-year goal. Focus on the why.
The Power of Why
Today we deal with obstacles, but we have a history of overcoming them. We walk toward my vision and obstacles don’t stop us. We know we can overcome them. Mary Kay Ash once said, “Never give up, because you never know if the next try is going to be the one that works.” Connect powerfully to your why and use it to power your purposed living, through obstacles to the life you really want.
Your future is coming, are you ready?
