2/11 )

My dear friend @MrPJT had gifted me this book more than a year earlier.

He told me how significantly it impacted his life - yet, it just sat on my desk.

I was desperate for a change.

Or at least a glimpse of hope and inspiration.

So I began to read:

3/11)

"Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action"

By @simonsinek

The book instantly grabbed me with the first sentence in the preface:

"When I first discovered this thing called the WHY, it came at a time in my life when I needed it."

4/11)

The central premise of the book is that the actions and outcomes of GREAT people, leaders and organizations are rooted in one thing:

PURPOSE.

"Why" do they do what they do?

"People don't buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it."

5/11)

A true "WHY" isn't "to make a profit."

That's a result.

A "WHY" is a cause. A North Star that guides you to act in fulfillment of such a cause. It is your purpose.

It inspires your thoughts, actions, and how you communicate with others.

It's what you'd die for.

6/11)

Every page fed my psyche with golden nuggets of wisdom.

I realized I had been running through life without any deep-rooted direction.

I was chasing what I had been taught and programmed to chase since birth.

My perspective began to change with every paragraph.

7/11)

"When an organization defines itself by WHAT it does, that's all it will ever do."

"Knowing your WHY is not the only way to be successful, but it is the only way to maintain a lasting success, and have a greater blend of innovation and flexibility."

Ok. Sign me up.

8/11)

I needed to find my "why." I had to.

I bought the accompanying workbook: "Find Your Why."

...and began the work.

At its core, the WHY is an origin story.

For individuals, it's formed by the time we reach our late teens.

9/11)

The work entailed doing an audit of the standout memories and defining moments in my life.

Stories that bring to light who I am at my natural best.

Experiences and people that have shaped me.

Then examining them to find the emotional connections.

10/11)

Everyone's "why" is different.

I discovered that mine culminates around a central theme:

Fighting back against bullies.

Rebelling against unjust and unchecked power and control.

Protecting others against such abuse.

This is the lens that directs everything I now do.

11/11)

Read this book.

Do the work.

Find your "why."

And don't look back.

I have never been so happy and inspired in my entire life.

"Brother. Did you forget your name? Did you lose it on the wall playing tic-tac-toe?" - @RATMofficial