I’ll be upfront: I’m still figuring it out my why – that elusive, central purpose we’re all supposedly striving to uncover.
In a world that places so much value on clarity, direction, and unwavering passion, the reality is that not everyone wakes up every day feeling like they’re laser-focused on their true calling.
I’ve often wondered if my “why” has become blurred by the pressures of life or worse, if I’ve lost it entirely.
That’s where Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why comes in, and if I’m being brutally honest, it’s been a bit of a challenge for me.
Sinek's core message is resonant with strength: Only when you understand your why can you gain enduring success and genuine fulfilment.
That seems simple enough, doesn’t it? But to us who still grope in the dark clutching at anything that gives some semblance of meaning, it is far from simple. I confess, I opened this book with a kind of hope that it would be a map into clarity. Instead, it compelled me to cope with some very hard, very unsettling questions – stuff I wasn't quite prepared for.
Well, I do know now that finding my “why” goes beyond the workplace motives. Sinek identified that all the great leaders and all successful businesses having long-term success, from Martin Luther King jr to Apple, think, act and communicate from the inside out with the “why”.
They know their “why”, and all of their actions show that they do.
While “Start with Why” gives a rousing structure in finding one’s purpose, it is not magic. One cannot simply read the book, do the exercises, and voilà, one’s mission in life appears right before their eyes.
Perhaps the most valuable notion Sinek introduces is the Golden Circle – a simple but profound model that starts from the middle with the heart of why, then how, and finally what.
He notices that most people and organisations always start from an outside-in approach in terms of what they do and how they do it, but infrequently reflect on why they are doing it in the first place. However, this book has had me assessing realistically where I am at this time.
Start with Why reminds one that perhaps the most potent lever for growth is uncertainty. And when the going gets tough, remain curious –especially in that confusion.
Sinek doesn’t insist that once you find your why, everything miraculously falls into place. But rather, he implores you to think of our why more as a lighthouse, in a sense shedding light on the decisions and paths we take, yet at the same time calling for continual reflection and improvement.
And while I don’t really have a purpose yet, I am beginning to understand the extent of that journey itself. I learn to accept that it is perfectly okay for me not to have everything figured out. In fact, this is no mark of failure but part of the process. Rather, it’s about truly embracing the journey of self-discovery and having the guts to face uncomfortable truths that may come with the ride.
* Start with why by Simon Sinek is available at Loot.co.za and Exclusive Books.
Cape Times