What's your why? (5 real examples to help you find yours) (2023)

My personal statement of "why" in life is to be worth all I've been given and to have the greatest possible positive influence in the world. But what is a "why" statement? How can you find your own "why" in life?

You need to find and define your own personal "why" in life. Every person has a deep motivation that fuels their life in the grand scheme of things. If you keep asking yourself why you do the things you do, you will eventually discover your own "why" in life.

This article shows you how you can find your personal "why". I have included practical tips and examples different from others. After finishing this article, you'll know exactly how to find your "why".

What is a "why" in life?

What is your "why" in life?

This question is very common, but it makes you think about what you really want out of life. How do you discover what your "why" is in life? Asking as many questions as possible:

• Why am I doing this?
• Why do I value this over that?
• Why am I not happy when X happens?
• Why am I stressed right now?

If you keep asking yourself these questions, chances are you'll end up with the same answer. That answer is almost always your "why" in life. That's the reason that makes you move forward in life.

The reason you're not happy right now is that your situation doesn't line up with your "why".

Common answers to these "why" questions are usually a variation or combination of the following:

• Provide for my family.
• Success.
• To leave a legacy.
• feel loved
• Have a positive impact on the lives of others.
• Fortuna.

If you're reading this, you're probably thinking, "I want everything you just said!" And without thinking about it any further, you can plan your life to be a rich, successful person with a huge positive impact on the world.

Because that sounds like a good reason to be alive, right?

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Find your "why" in life

So how do you find your "why" in life? Here's how you can't find it:

• Sitting in a chair by the window, waiting for someone to tell you what your "why" should be.
• For having a "Eureka!" time.
• Copying someone else's "why" in life.

Do not. To find your personal "why" in life, you really need to pick up a shovel and dig deep into your conscious mind. How do you start digging? Asking him the questions I listed above.

Here is an example:

A: Why am I so stressed all the time?

Q: Because my job stresses me out.

Q: Why do I work every day from 7am to 4pm?

A: Because I need money to do the things I value most.

What do these answers show me? That my "career" has absolutely nothing to do with my "why" in life. I only work because the money allows me to do the things I value most. Let's continue.

Q: What do I value most?

AN:To live a happy lifeand being around people I can have positive interactions with.

Okay, so this is getting more existential already, right? Your "why" in life is usually not connected to a single factor in your life (like a career, a hobby, or a single good cause). It's usually bigger than that.

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Let's continue.

Q: Why do I want to have onepositive influence in the world?

A: Because they gave me an opportunity in life that few others had (good education, basic needs, family, health, education). I don't just wanttake it for granted. I want to take this opportunity to give back to the world.

A-ha. Here we are. This is a "why" statement that I personally can be happy with. With just 3 questions, I got to the bottom of my "why", which shows me what drives me to do the things I do in life.

Examples of Corporate "Why" Statements

The "Why" statement has become very popular since the bookStart with Why by Simon Sinekbecame a worldwide bestseller.

This book addresses the importance of "why" statements in the corporate world and how leaders can inspire more people to do the same, starting with the question "why?"

Basically, it boils down to everything you do, whether you're a company or an individual, it has to have the same logic. So if someone starts to question your actions (why do you do that?

Since "why" statements are already very common in companies, I decided to include some well-known examples here. Personal "why" statements are even less common, but reading these examples might inspire you to reconsider your own versions!

• Our aim is to challenge the status quo. Our aim is to think differently. -Litter
• To connect millions of people in real life around the world through a community marketplace so you can belong anywhere. -airbnb
• Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. -microsoft
• Organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. -Google

Why It's Important to Find Your Personal "Why"

A "why" statement is often used in the corporate world, but why is it important to determine your own "why" statement as well?

Because you are more likely to be happier when you live a life that is aligned with your life purpose. We wrote a full article.about this topic here.

We studied this topic ina large-scale surveyrecently, and found that 34% of people associate their purpose in life with their happiness.

From othersinteresting studyfollowed 136,000 people for about 7 years and came to a revealing conclusion:

The analysis showed a lower risk of death for participants with a high sense of purpose in life. After adjusting for other factors, mortality was about one-fifth lower for participants who reported a strong sense of purpose.

Purpose in life and its relationship to all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events: a meta-analysis

So it's clear that finding your "why" in life is important and beneficial to your happiness. But how do you find yours?

Defining Your Own Personal "Why" in Life

You can't go around copying and pasting someone else's "why" and expecting to be happy doing the same things.

No, you have to define your own "why" in life.

as much ashappiness is something unique to each person, the "why" differs from person to person.

Richard Branson's "why" in life can be"have fun on my journey through life and learn from my mistakes"while your own personal "why" may simply be to provide the best life for your family and children.

Copying and pasting the "why" of someone you respect and admire is likely to leave you unhappy and dissatisfied. For example, I think Richard Branson is doing amazing things, but I wouldn't be happy if I were in his shoes. My own "why" is totally different from yours!

I have defined my own life purpose and I advise you to do the same!

Examples of personal "why" statements in life

Although you have to define your own "why" in life, it is still interesting to read about other people's statements. That's why I asked to include examples of personal "why" statements in this article.

I don't want you to copy and paste these "why" statements and make them your own. I just want to show you how these statements can be diversified!

Here are real examples of personal "why" statements from the people I asked!

This personal statement of "why" comes from David Jacobson, president ofmood horizons. I think this is a great example of how simple a personal "why" statement in life can be.

My why is sharing the power of therapeutic humor with others. Humor has transformed my life. It has allowed me to deal with chronic pain and severe arthritis. I was able to do a 50-mile unicycle fundraising ride, which I credit in part to my sense of humor in helping me complete. I've written a book about the mood habits I use to help me deal with it, and I'm now starting a research project to use positive rather than negative depression tests (how happy vs. how sad you are, etc.). My sense of humor is my source of happiness!

"My why is helping people be more connected in their lives, careers and businesses."

This "Why" statement comes from Beth Bridges and shows how a life event can solidify your purpose in life. Beth is an author specializing in the power of networks. He also runs The Networking Motivator, a website aboutshare networking strategies with others.

This is how she defines her "why" in life.

My why is helping people be more connected in their lives, careers and businesses. A year and a half ago my husband of 17 years had a massive heart attack and was gone within minutes. What saved my sanity? To friends and business contacts who gladly helped me in small and big ways. Without that community, I would be lost in despair and sadness. Now I want to make sure everyone has the tools and knowledge to build their own community so they can survive whatever life throws at them.

"Strive to be the best version of myself to know that my mother is smiling at me."

This personal statement of "why" comes fromcolby oeste, who shares a very moving story about how one life event can influence your "why". I think this is a great example of how you can be encouraged to get the most out of yourself by defining a rationale, otherwise known as a "why".

I lost my mother to alcohol abuse on March 14, 2017, the extent of which I didn't know until it was too late. It took me about 2 years to realize that I needed to make a change in my life to become the person she wanted me to be. Almost 4 months ago I decided to work smarter AND harder and "spread my wings" a little. I stopped drinking alcohol, became so committed to health and wellness that I reduced my body fat percentage to around 5%, adding 3 (soon to be 4) streams of income to my life. Even though I'm nowhere near finished and I'll probably never be satisfied, I will continue to strive to be the best version of myself to know that my mother is 100% smiling at me.

"To leave the world a better place than I found it and to be remembered by the people whose lives I touched as a force for good in their lives."

This one comes from Paige, who I find to be a very inspiring example. "Leave the world better than I found it" is a purpose as simple as it is powerful. Paige founded a global branding and marketing company calledexperts and tycoons- 18 years ago. She has been happily married for 27 years, has a close circle of friends, nieces, nephews and godchildren.

She says:

I simply want to leave the world better than I found it and be remembered by the people whose lives I touched as a force for good in their lives.

I have lost 7 people very close to me in 6 years and I know firsthand that no one on their deathbed wants to work harder, earn more money or win more prizes. They just want to be with the ones they love the most and tell them they matter. I often think about these people and the roles they played in my life. I want to be remembered for giving the best of myself to others so that their lives are better and happier somehow because I was part of them.

I hope these examples of personal "why" statements inspire you to reconsider your own. What is the fundamental engine of your life?

Here is my personal answer.

What is my personal "why" in life?

Here is a short version of my personal "Why" statement:

"For what it's worth."

To explain what that means, I have to go back in time. In fact, I have to dig through my happiness journals.

On July 17, 2014, I wrote a journal entry that ended up going off topic and talked about how lucky I was. This is what I wrote:

"Seriously, I've been very lucky in my life so far. I have great parents and financial security. As a result, I've got a solid education, friends, security, hobbies, and I can move around easily. Most importantly, I haven't had any major setbacks in life, life until now.

It makes me think: am I worth it? Do I really deserve all these things? More importantly, how can I be sure that I truly deserve everything I've been lucky enough to have so far?

Just appreciating what I have is definitely NOT enough. In no way. I want to give back to my parents and make them happy. I want to help other people as much as they have helped me in the past. And most importantly, I want to have a positive influence on the world.

Now that I think about it, I need to be the best version of myself that I can be. I need to reach my full potential.

But what is my potential? I believe that I can potentially do many good things in my life. I'm smart, physically fit and mentally healthy (I think). But why? Because I've been very lucky in the past. My luck has provided me with many potential opportunities, and if I want to "make it up", I need to make sure I don't waste those opportunities. There are people with fewer opportunities (ie, less luck) who still manage to have incredible influence in the world by reaching their full potential. i need to do the same. I need to be worth it.

I eat?

• Giving my "luck" to others as much as I can.
• By "paying in advance".
• Not wasting my opportunities.
• Appreciate everything I have and not just take it for granted.
• Being the best person I can.

I don't believe in karma, but if I did, it would basically be accumulating as much positive karma as possible. That's how worthwhile I can be."

Even though I wrote this years ago, it's still exactly how I feel about my life. Back then, I didn't care about my words. Instead, I just wrote down every thought that came to mind.

But now, after giving it a little more time, I've redefined my personal "why" as follows:

To be worthy of all that I have been given and to have the greatest possible positive influence in the world.

💡For right: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, we've condensed information from 100 of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.👇

Download our FREE mental self-care cheat sheet!

Thrive under stress and achieve your goals with these 10 instant mental health tips.

Download the FREE cheat sheet here

Ending

Here it is. There are many different reasons for doing the things you do in life, but they generally follow the same fundamental driving force. If someone started to question your actions (why are you doing this? why this? why that?), eventually you should be able to return to your main "why". If you've made it to the end of this article, I hope you know how to define your own personal "why" statement.

I would love to hear from you now! What is your "why" in life? What makes you do the things you do every day when you really think about it? Let's share more examples in the comments below!