MONDAY MINDSET: WHAT IS YOUR WHY?

WEEK OF 5/27/24

 

Today marks the annual Memorial Day celebration, often associated with BBQ’s, sunshine, and getting stuck in traffic on the way to/from the shore.  Of course, the purpose of Memorial Day has nothing really to do with any of that; it’s a day to remember the service men and women who perished in the line of duty.

Humans are fascinating.  We create structure in the wildness and chaotic nature of existence through narratives.  Basically, we understand the world through story, and these stories are incredibly powerful as they shape our core values and beliefs.  And in the case of those people whom we remember on this day, powerful enough to die for.

We all have strong beliefs that shape how we behave and what choices we make.  Clearly, if you are reading this, you have probably chosen to dive into the martial arts for one reason or another.  So, what exactly is your why?  You may never have articulated it, maybe never really thought about it.  But it’s there.  It’s a core component of who you are.

At one point in the past, your why was powerful enough to get you off the couch and into an environment full of unknowns.  It was enough to make a course correction on your daily routine and create a new standard of action and behavior.  But, at some point, once the novelty of this new activity wears off, we can often forget our why.

Because the couch is always calling.  The bar is always calling.  Video games are always calling.  There are a thousand why nots fighting daily to dethrone your why.

On those occasions where you struggle to muster the energy or will to get to the gym, or to push for that extra round, remember your why.  The act of remembering is what allows you to tap into its essential power.  It is central to the story of your life, and to the narrative of the chapter you are currently writing.  It is, in many ways, one of the most powerful things you have.