Almost five years ago, I wrote a page in a book.

This was a collaboration with three other wonderful women (who I still work with today) to inspire families, friends and people in general to forge deeper and more authentic connections with one another—away from the phones, computers and TVs.

This page or excerpt was called, “The Why Challenge.”

It went like this:

“Living passively is something we can all experience. Alarm goes off, get ready for work, kids to school, do our job, go home, make dinner, do homework, administer daily hygiene, rinse and repeat. STOP. Ask yourself, WHY? By asking why you are moving through the motions, it allows you to find purpose in those motions and you are able to re-establish why they are important to you. It also gives you an opportunity to make any necessary changes to your routine. By doing this exercise every so often, you can ensure that your day is filled with meaning and purpose.”

Here are two reasons we should all be asking ourselves why.

1. Finding Gratitude.

Asking why offers the opportunity to find gratitude in even the most mundane chores.

As children, we can’t wait to be big.

We crave freedom and the ability to make our own choices, but like Spiderman says,

“With great power, comes great responsibility.”

Before we know it, our responsibilities have taken precedence over all of our dreams and we have buried ourselves in a mountain of debt, in a job that has nothing to do with our passion and even the easiest of tasks becomes a chore.

We have all reached the point when we realize that we aren’t happy.

When what we are doing is draining us and we can’t seem to fill up.

However, what some of us don’t realize is that everything—yes, everything—we do is a choice.

You might feel like what you’re doing must be done, but it doesn’t. Everything from getting up in the morning to feeding our families is a choice we make.

It just may not be a conscious one.

So, what I propose for you is to look at your daily routine. Ask yourself why it is you are doing these things. If you can’t come up with an answer that means something to you, change it.

If you can, then it’s time to find gratitude and make each and every task an opportunity, rather than a chore.

It’s a paradigm shift, and only you can do that for yourself.

2. Making the Right Choices.

When we ask why, we get to examine more consciously whether or not the choices we’re making (and the way we’re using our time) moves us toward our purpose, or away from it.

So, the media is telling you that you need a new car to be happy or you have to look like someone else to be attractive.

Seriously?

What are you spending your energy on?

In today’s society, we haven’t only lost touch with what we want out of life, we have lost touch with who we are.

What are your dreams? What are your gifts? And more importantly, what are you doing to make them happen or share them with the world.

The world needs you.

You are here to share who you are, to ripple your essence into everyone around you and to live authentically.

Where is the meaning in the possessions we hold if we don’t know who we are without them? Why does it matter who we look like if we don’t know what brings us joy, laughter and love?

You can choose where you put your energy.

It can be in chasing something that you may never have, or it can be in what is happening right now if you would just look around.

The beauty of nature, your smiling, healthy kids or maybe friends who love and support you.

Only you have the power to create the life you want, and the only thing that limits you is yourself. Choose to get up and make the choices that support your dreams. Choose to live each day with gratitude, and choose to be passionate in everything you do.

Why?

“Because I have to” is not an answer.

Find the why—find the meaning in that and you will find yourself.

 

 

 

 

Relephant:

7 Tips for Practicing Radical Self-Love.

Author: Angie Cherry

Apprentice Editor: Brandie Smith/Editor: Renee Picard

Photo: {Salt of the Earth}/Flickr

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