Know Your Why
Know Your Why?
I posted this blog Mach of 2020, So much has changed, but the message is the same.
I am writing today's blog from my New York City apartment. City residents have been ordered to stay at home to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Nonetheless, as I look out my window, I see trees reaching up to the blue sky, and my terrace garden shows traces of last year's kale beginning to come up. Nature shows the promise of a beautiful spring.
I have practiced social distancing, buying in bulk, to exercise in my home. I stay connected with family, friends, and colleagues via zoom, facetime, google, phone conferences, email, and text. I spend my time working from home, playing my bass guitar, petting my cats, hanging blinds in my windows, and, most importantly, spending time in quiet contemplation.
As the situation intensifies and the news becomes louder, I have unexamined past thoughts coming to the surface; thoughts I have put away for another day are resurfacing to be examined. To me, this is a good sign that I am beginning to feel overwhelmed and need to rediscover my "why,"
As humans, we need not only to identify our deepest desire but also to know that we can achieve it. By doing both, we are more able to overcome obstacles that are before us. We all have a deep need to connect, to love, to be loved, and to be ourselves. We all want to make an impact and a contribution. But it can be overwhelming to navigate all of these needs at once.
It is easy to think that to serve and care for others, we have to place ourselves on the back burner. In times of chaos, or when we act out of fear, it is natural to want to spring into action immediately. However, service from a place of fear is neither helpful nor sustainable.
We get to decide who we are and how we will show up, and your "why" is your superpower; it is yours alone. No one else's "why" is more important, better, or worse than yours. What matters is that it comes from the deepest part of your being. It is less important that you know how to achieve or fulfill your "why" and, more important, that you plant your feet firmly on the path of now and begin from wherever you are. Spend time dreaming, contemplating, and nurturing your "why." Every day, do one thing that will bring you closer to it.
If you feel overwhelmed, create a moment of stillness for yourself to rest your mind and listen. Like the trees outside of my window, trust in that which roots you to the ground. Love of self is the strongest anchor.
