Why Do You Get Out of Bed in the Morning? Why Asking Why is the Key to Fulfillment

Jackie White

What if I told you that there is only one way to find fulfillment and happiness in life? It’s true. There is only one true way to finally find contentment and meaning and that is by asking why. The concept of starting with why is attributed to Simon Sinek and his research on why companies excel over others. His books “Start with Why” and “Finding Your Why” are hinged on the concept that human behavior is best fueled by drilling down to what drives you internally.

Now, hold on a sec, this might seem like a big concept, but we can drill this down very simply to three words. What, How, and Why.

The What:
The “What” is what you do. It’s how you spend your time. It’s what you do for a living. It’s what people see you do. The “What” is simply the explanation of what we do every day. For example, a hairdresser might say “I cut people’s hair”. 

The How:
The How is how you are doing the “What”. The “How” explains, how you do your job. Again, a hairdresser might say “I work at a salon and cut people’s hair”.

The Why:
This is the goose that lays the golden egg. The “Why” is what internally motivates you to do what you do. The “Why” is the key driver, and it explains why we do what we do. Let’s go back to the hairdresser example. The hairdresser’s "”Why” may be articulated like this: “I cut hair because I love making people feel good about themselves by helping them look good”. Ultimately, the “Why” is the feeling you have attached to what you do. In other words, what you strongly believe about something’s importance.

Emotion is the Force of Life
The “Why” is all about emotion. Emotions are processed in your brain within the structures of your limbic system. The limbic system is linked to motivation, rewards and learning. Therefore, when you feel strongly about something, it automatically fuels behavior and motivation. That is why it is so important to uncover that thing that gets you excited about life. When you are motivated this way, the things you feel strongly about do not feel like work. They feel more like a passion or purpose. Emotion is really the force of life.

It’s Just Something I Have to Do
Your “Why” can feel like it is a pull coming from your heart and soul. That is true. There is a heart and brain coherence that translates your “Why” into a belief that is strongly felt versus a logical communication. Your “Why” is something you feel deeply connected to. It is something you would do in your spare time and would do it for free. Time seems to fly when you are working in the zone of your “Why”. It is a pull that might feel like something you just have to do. It is powerful and that is why it is so important to figure out what is your Why”.

What is My Why?

1. Look back over your life and identify those things you have always loved to do. Write them down and look deeper to find a way to incorporate that in your life.
   
2. Get quiet and ask yourself or a Higher Power to help identify things that you are called to. These might be things that pull at your heartstrings and make you emotional. Journal what these things are and how they make you feel.
   
3. Get curious about the world. If you feel like you can’t identify something you feel strongly about then it’s time to challenge your self to get curious about the world. ​
   

If you don’t do any other personal development in life, take the time to figure out what your “Why” is. It will wrap your life in a bow and make it feel like you have finally figured out this thing called happiness can be easily found. It will be the time well spent to do some introspection and find out what makes you tick.

Shine On!

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