Finding Your "Why"
Originally published on www.kesifelton.com
July 24, 2017
A few weeks ago I wrote a post on tips to accomplish your "it" – the goal that you're currently working towards. Since then, I've been thinking about the one thing that is even more important than that – finding your "why", aka your purpose, your reason for being, the thing that drives your decisions, the thing that makes you excited to get up every morning and keep pushing.
There are times when we get out of alignment with our "why" which can cause us to feel lost or conflicted with our actions or-- even worse-- like our lives lack purpose. I think that in a world where a lot of people get caught up with trying to be known instead of trying to make a positive impact, it becomes too easy for us to lose sight of what really matters. This can also happen when we subscribe to the idea that we have to choose one life path and stay on that path regardless of if it fulfills us or not.
For me, I had to sit down and think about two things: One, what in my life do I value the most and two, what type of effect would I like to have on the people I come across in my life. The most important part of this is that I identified what those two things meant to me right now. I understand that what I value now can change in a year or five, or even tomorrow. And that's okay.
I think that identifying a "why" for everything that you do definitely helps you be more clear about what does and does not align with that. Especially when your "why" is something that you're genuinely connected to (which it should be), you're able to recognize and eliminate things that don't align with your vision for your life. I assess whether a certain opportunity truly resonates with me if it's a result of what I think I should be doing, or if it would just entertain temporary wants or needs. You also have to be honest with yourself and decide whether or not this thing is conducive to your growth. Ask yourself "Does this help the person that I am now or the person I'm trying to be?" Don't become obsessed with the quantity of opportunities over their quality. Make sure the things you choose to spend your time and energy on move you forward, not keep you stagnant or move you back.
I was reading an article on Black Girl in Om by Lauren Ash about how she manifested becoming a Nike Trainer, and the thing that stuck out most to me was that she specifically tries to set intentions for her life instead of goals. This is important to point out, and she states this in the article because we set so many goals and get caught up in accomplishing more, in having and seeking more. By instead setting intentions, we can make decisions that align with those intentions without being so attached to a particular outcome.
This resonated with me because I wouldn't say I have a long list of things that I hope to accomplish, but I instead assess my progress and achievements by connecting them with what I believe is my purpose. I'm beginning to realize what is actually important to me which ultimately allows me to prioritize better and give my all to things I'm truly passionate about. Many people are also obsessed with looking busy which can result in us falling into auto-pilot and not having joy while we go through our journey. We should want to give our most quality time and energy to things that we 100% believe in because we know that these things not only keep us on the right path but actually allow us to grow into the person we want to be.
–kf
Also read:
