Why “Why” Matters – Remembering the Most Important Thing 

I have a confession to make.  Over the past several months, I’ve let my Why slip away.  But sitting here typing out this article, I recognize that it has been a blessing in disguise.  

Like everyone else, I have taken a financial beating since our economy has taken a turn for the worse.  In 2008, I came to the bottom rung of my financial ladder twice.   And twice I picked myself up, dusted myself off, reinvented myself, and made a comeback.  And in my previous editions of my newsletter, I’ve found ways to encourage you all to do the same.

Enter 2009.  For the third time, I watched as my financial rug was pulled out from underneath me.  Only this time, I have yet to see the comeback.  It has hit me so hard that I have found it hard to reach out to the rest of you.  It’s true, my attitude has remained positive.  But so far, no matter how I’ve strategized and put plans into action, I’ve yet to make that third comeback.

The best analogy I can summon is that of sailing.  I was cruising along, manning my sails, and conquering the ocean.  Then June 2008 came along like a tidal wave for me.  It knocked me off my boat, and  I struggled to stay afloat.  Twice I kicked and swam towards the surface, and twice I broke through.  I stayed above water long enough to catch my breath and start to climb back into the boat, but then the tide would turn and under I would go once again.  This last time, no matter how hard I kick and swim, I cannot seem to break the surface.

And I can honestly look at all my professional efforts over the past year and half and know without a shadow of a doubt that my downfall has not been my own doing.  It has always been the effects of the economy that have provided the tidal wave for me…lost financing and client’s lost budgets have been my undoing.  I’ve done the right things, made the right moves, fought the good fight.  I’ve read every book, taken sales and business courses, found inspirational and successful people to model my efforts after all in an effort to overcome.  And yet, I’ve not been able to climb back into my proverbial boat again.

This has provided an endless quest to soul search, educate, seek answers.  And at every piece of insight, I have learned extremely valuable lessons that will serve me well for the rest of my life.  However,  like so many of us struggling through this economy and sinking slowly, I have found myself asking “Why?”

Today it hit me, that “Why” is EXACLTY why I’ve faltered.   I have allowed my Why to slip away.  By Why, I am speaking of that driving desire that we harbor deep within.  The motivation that gets us fired up.  The measuring stick by which we measure our individual success.

Somewhere during the past few months, I allowed Income to become my Why.  And that, my friends, is NO way to live.  No matter if we are living in a time of economic struggle, as we have been for the past couple of years, or enjoying the fruits of a booming economy like we did in the early 2000’s.  We should NEVER measure our Why by how much money we have coming in.

Rather, our Why is our purpose.  It is what we were placed on this planet to accomplish.  And I promise you, making money was NEVER what our Creator had in mind when we were brought into existence.  Money should be a byproduct of our true success.  And true success comes only when we live our Purpose.

Today I was reminded of my true Why.  I have always lived my life knowing that my purpose on Earth was to touch the lives of others.  And throughout my professional past, I have remained true to that core value.  I helped others, I motivated people, I provided training, I provided assistance and tools that would make their lives easier.   I laid my head to rest every night knowing that if I made a difference in just one other person’s life that day, I was a success.  It is why I’ve enjoyed financial success in the past as a sales person….I never SOLD anyone, I simply provided a product or service that I believed would make a difference for them.   There’s a big difference.

Forgetting my true Why has led me to where I am now.  Sure, we all need to make income to live.  But we don’t have to make it our driving force.  

So I have to ask, what is your Why?  What is the purpose for which you were created?  If you truly don’t know, then its time for some soul searching.  Figuring it out starts by recognizing what you are passionate about.  There is something that stirs your soul to distraction.  Just thinking about it makes you feel that deep tingle down in the pit of your stomach…the one that makes you feel like there is Big Wide World out there just WAITING for whatever it is you have inside of you.  Find this, and your purpose is not far behind.  

Maybe you’ve known your Why for a long time.  And maybe, like me, you’ve let yourself forget your true purpose because you are so busy trying to weather this economic storm.  Consider this your wake up call!  Live your Why, and no matter what happens with your income, you will have peace, joy, and abundance.

For those of you that know your Why and are living it, even if you are struggling financially, you know you will come through this time a better person.  You are the one that is not afraid to switch gears, reinvent your career if need be, take on a second job, whatever the situation.  You walk in strength, and inspire others to do the same.

I opened this article by telling you that forgetting my Why has been a blessing in disguise.  How is that, you might wonder.  

The answer is this:  by forgetting my Why, and sharing my story with you now,  I just may help you to remember yours.   It’s time for all of us to remember that simply Making a Living isn’t what makes you Truly Live.

I will end with this story:  I was in San Francisco on a business trip earlier this year.  While there, I met a person who had a career by day, but was a street artist by passion.  During the course of my insightful conversation with him, I asked him why he would live like a vagabond during his non-working hours, even though he was a professional suit-wearing businessman in his career.   To this day, I find breath-taking inspiration from his answer.

“The world awaits my gift with baited breath.  The world needs this gift of mine, just as it needs air, water, shelter.  But if I let that gift stay inside of me, and I never give that gift life, then the world will suffer.  The saddest part is that the people in the world will never even know how much it suffers, all because I chose not to follow the path I was always meant to be on”

When he shared that insight with me over a cup of coffee, I knew that he was right.  And I knew that all of us, every single person on this planet, has their gift.  So what is it that lies inside of you that the world will suffer for if you don’t bring it to life?  Find that gift, and share it with the world.  I, for one, am waiting with baited breath.

Jacki Semerau © Copyright 2009