It seems that anyone who wants to be successful in his/her career, family, health, or spiritual journey must first ask the question: What is my WHY?
I have been pondering this question for several days now (if not, for several years). This persistent question keeps coming up, and I can’t seem to dodge it until I have temporarily satisfied my soul’s longing for the answer.
But, something amazing happened last night when I was pondering that question. I realized that my WHY doesn’t have to remain the same. It can change over time! As I accomplish a goal, I can determine a new WHY. Some of my WHYs are permanent, such as “I’m doing this for my kids.” But, some of my WHYs are temporary. These temporary answers can change as I do.
Discovering what you want to be or who you are is one of the most sought after ponderings in the universe. You may ask simple questions to yourself (Where would I like to be in 12 months?), or you may ask the most complex questions that never really have any black or white answers. I tend to toss and turn at night over some of these gray questions/answers. So, how do I find a balance in all of this questioning?
- I have to acknowledge that I do not know all the answers in this life, and that I need to LET GO of the false sense of control that I seem to have.
- I have to show gentleness and grace to myself, as I tend to get a little too hard on myself for not solving the problem/question right away.
- I have to walk away and leave it for another day, when my strength just doesn’t seem to be there.
As I look back through my journaling this past year, I know that a lot of mid-life moms must go through this period of questioning, seeking, and pursuing. We are at a point of the mountain peak, where we have journeyed for half of our lives to reach this pinnacle. But, when we look around and see where we’ve been, and then look ahead to see where we are going, we get lost in the fog. The beautiful clouds that seem so enamoring from the ground are now surrounding us at this mountain peak. It was supposed to be clear at the peak. We should know how to solve it all, handle it all, and understand it all.
So as begin the descent down to the ground of the latter half of my life, I want to have that kind of peace that surrounds me, even with the clouds. I want to know that my WHYs are not in vain, and that they have purpose for my purpose.
I hope that you’ll take the time to review your WHYs this week. Enjoy the thoughts, but don’t muddle too long on the unknown. Try and take the time to write them down, and just be content with where you are… at this moment.
For one day, these WHYs will become the mosaic of your legacy.
Becoming Process Driven 