Why did you do that?
Why am I doing this?
Why? Why? Why?
It’s the most introspective of the “W’s” and, to my mind, one that gets the most overlooked.
Why?
Because.
Be honest. I’ll bet it didn’t take any effort to jump between those two lines. You might even have seen that “Because” coming a mile off. The reason for that is “Because” is easy. “Because” is a knee jerk reaction. It’s shorthand for “It Is What it Is” (and I hate that phrase).
“Why” deserves thought. Serious Thought. “Why” is what drives you and me. Why do I tell stories? I tell Stories because I Can’t Not tell stories. It’s who I am. That’s my Why. Why am I so interested in Music? Music is like a language I want desperately to learn to speak, but don’t know the first word of. Why? Because I know that it leads to a realm of self expression that I’ve only ever dreamed of. Even if I can’t reach it yet, I know there’s a piece of my soul in there. That’s my Why.
And that’s only the good stuff. That “Why” is easy – to a point. But there’s a darker “Why.” The hard part, the hardest part, is digging deep to figure out the “Why” behind stuff you’d like to change about yourself.
There’s always a Why.
I’ve recently come across “Why’s” that are so raw, so bare-nerved that I’m not comfortable talking about them, even here – yet – but they exist.
And that’s a good thing. If you can understand a “Why” – and I posit that’s a necessary step – then you can take steps to change it. With knowledge, comes the chance to take the edge off, get a toe in the door to something better.
That’s the real work of “Why.” And don’t you think for a minute that “Because” will work as any kind of an answer. “Because” is a layer of insulation – and not a good one – between you and what really matters. What you’ve got to do is Know Your Why, so that you can address it and turn the corner into a better tomorrow.
Thanks for reading. Be safe out there. Be Excellent to Each other – and yourself.
I’ll see you on Thursday.
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