Visit the home décor section of a department store and you will find stylish wooden signs with short pithy sayings painted on them. The artful words might be a poem, Bible verse, or inspirational quote.
Why are these signs so popular?
Because there is something in the words that resonates with our souls. We read them and think: Yes! I believe that. It’s good advice. An attitude I want to live by. A truth I need to remember.
And so we put those special words in our house to remind us what is important.
What messages are you listening to?
Our modern world bombards us with messages all day long. Advertisements. News. Social media. Comments from coworkers. Song lyrics. TV Shows. Etc. Some of the messages we agree with, others we don’t.
Which messages are being reinforced the most? The ones you want to live by? Probably not.
We need to be intentional about feeding our minds with the truths and beliefs we choose to uphold. Because the choices we make will be questioned. Because our values will be tested. Because our world is full of pain, injustice, and despair.
To stand firm, we need to know our why.
Facing the tests of life
My husband and I both made career choices that prioritized family over career. We made those choices very intentionally—and yet there were plenty of times when we questioned whether we’d made the right decisions. When peers climbed the corporate ladder quicker than my husband. When I felt judged for being a stay-at-home mom instead of a well-paid engineer. When the world’s definition of success looked far shinier than the lifestyle we were living.
We sometimes needed to remind each other why we made the choices we did, and why those choices were worth it.
If you know your why, you’ll have an easier time standing by your decisions during the rough patches.
Do you know your why?
Companies spend big bucks coming up with corporate vision statements because they know that their business will be more effective if all the employees understand their corporate why. They attempt to boil the essence of their why to a short, easy-to-understand sentence that can be used to guide employee decisions from top to bottom.
You and I don’t have paid consultants and multi-departmental committees to come up with a carefully crafted vision statement or personal tagline, but that doesn’t get us off the hook. If you want to stand by your choices with confidence and accomplish what really matters in life, you need to know your why.
Here are some questions that will help you define and refine your why.
- What are the values you hold most dear? When was the last time you reviewed them? Talked about them with your family? Checked to see if your lifestyle is in tune with them?
- How do those values uphold the tough/scary/risky choices you have made? Does reviewing your why give you renewed confidence to carry on?
- Are there specific places where a reminder of some foundational truth or positive message are most needed? The bathroom mirror? The laundry room? Stuck to your mouse so you see it each day before starting work? Be proactive with positive words that reinforce your why.
- Do you have a why for every good habit you are trying to maintain? Associating a meaningful why can help you stay motivated.
- Are you intentional about feeding your mind and soul with messages that reinforce your why? If not, what is one change that will help?
