💨 Dust off your why

Hi 👋

In the pre-industrial world of farming, ploughing was done by hand and horse.

The furrow had to be kept straight as the horse pulled forward. It was hard, tiring work. Hands blistered, legs went sore. The farmer with their hands on the plough had to keep their eyes fixed ahead, because any diversion would bend the row, and a bent row caused problems across the whole field, the harvest, and consequently, their livelihood.

If the farmer started to grow anxious and look over his shoulder, or glance behind at the past, the row would bend. It was imperative to keep walking forward, eyes fixed on a target.

In today's world, the labour may have changed, but the meaning still holds.

Think of the work you’ve started. Do you remember your original _why_ - its genesis, the heartfelt purpose, the reasons it would make a difference to the world? You set your plough into the soil and began to toil.

But halfway down the row, things wobble, questions occur, and doubts arise. Then, the pain of the work really begins to be felt.

Our hands may no longer be bloody or cracked, but we still know stress and tension; the need to finish the work, against the body's desire for rest. It’s as if endless rocks and stones thwart the path ahead.

It is here where we need our why the most; it’s what gets us through.

So, when was the last time you dusted it off and reconnected with your why? It may have been months, years, or decades, and that's okay.

In our transactional world, one seemingly without meaning, the why, the spark, the ignition of the heart, is where we find the nerves and sinew to keep going. But it is also an outstretched hand to help others.

What's my why?