Mi Hamba Blog

Your Why - a belief, a purpose or a cause.

Your Why is like an advertisement of your deepest values - your message to the world. What’s so magical about this is it draws others to us in support of that which is most important in our lives. It also draws us to others that share a common belief, purpose or cause.

Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why, shared 2 very powerful examples of how telling a story of our Why draws us in.

“You don’t have to use the words from your Why as long as the idea is communicated in everything you do.”
~ Simon Sinek

Apple Fan Club

Talk to most anyone that uses a Mac, has an iPod or uses the ever popular iPhone, and you’ll be talking to a genuine fan of Apple. Say anything negative to them about their Mac, iPod or iPhone and you’ll likely spark a heated debate about the wrongness of your position.

Why is this? Apple communicates their message very well and has attracted like-minded people to become part of their loyal fan club. Their message …

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can the change the world, are the ones who do.”
~ Apple

They’re all about challenging the status quo and empowering the individual to stand up. They’re always talking about the revolution, but only show the individual … “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC”. All their advertising shows one single person, not groups of people. The never say “revolution”, but the say the message in everything they do. That’s why we gravitate to Apple. They’re not just computer, mp3 player and cell phone manufacturers, they’re an idea … an ideal … a message we resonate with. Apple could produce a line of health foods and we’d gobble them up like crazy … that is, if you relate to their message.

Bringing Millions Together in Support

Simon went on to share a commanding example of how telling a story of our why can bring millions together in support of a common cause…

President Obama recently gave a speech on healthcare which he began with “Over 30 million Americans live without health insurance.” Simon understood that’s too big a number for people to connect with - it sounds expensive and too impossible to bring healthcare to so many.

What if the President had told a story …

“I recently met a women in Wichita, Kansas. She has a job, but unfortunately her job doesn’t provide health insurance. She has a young son who is in good health. However, something happened recently that changed all that. He was riding his bike and he fell off his bike and hurt himself. It wasn’t a serious injury, but things went horribly wrong and he got a staff infection. But because she didn’t have health insurance, her bills started to rack up and she had to take time off work to be with her son. Her son died … for no other reason than there wasn’t a system in place to take care of him. This is the United States of America. It’s egregious that we would allow that to happen in this country. We need to create a system where we provide a doctor for every child in this nation.”

Can you feel the difference? We’re drawn in by a common cause (a Why) - to provide health care to the children in our country. We can relate much more to 1 individual than we can to millions and now the task doesn’t seem so monumental - it’s one child at a time.

These examples were just that - examples … of how when we’re clear of our Why, we can then tell a story that will draw others of like-mind in.

This applies to both our business/professional lives as well as our personal lives. Because it all starts with us as individuals - clarity of purpose spreads into the relationships we share with others, our careers, our businesses, our communities, and ultimately influences the world.

Sound large? It isn’t. It just begins with You and your Why.

To learn more about Simon and his message, visit him at:
www.simonsinek.com
www.startwithwhy.com

“Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Most of us live from the outside in … we think when we have what we want, we can do what we want and then we’ll be who we want to be.

That very often doesn’t work because we’re not being WHO we are. Who we are is the core - our Why. When we approach life from our core, things naturally fall into place for us. The right people, the right career, the right relationships, the right opportunities seem to suddenly appear. It’s because by being yourself, others that resonate with you, gravitate to you.

Simon Sinek is the author of “Start With Why” releasing October 29, 2009). Although Simon’s message seems to apply mainly to businesses, it also applies to your personal life. Here’s how it works…

The Golden Circle

Why - a belief, a purpose or a cause

How - the actions we take that support our Why

What - the results of our actions

Can you see how this inner/outer approach is so very different from the outer/inner approach? It’s so much more authentic. It’s begging you to be YOU, not someone else, not jumping on someone else’s band wagon, and not moving aimlessly through life without direction.

Your Why is who you are. Ask yourself these questions:

- What do I believe?
- What do I value most?
- What is my life purpose?
- What is my message?

When you have your answers, your message emerges. The next time someone asks you what you do, you can say …

- I create positive first impressions (receptionist)
- I inspire greatness in our youth (high school teacher)
- I make technology simple for everyone (software designer)
- I help people connect with their inner explorer (travel agent)

Doesn’t this intrigue you … make you want to know more? It’s a powerful introduction to WHO you are.

Now when someone asks you, “How do you do that?”, you’ll tell them a story that expands on your message and engages the listener…

…tomorrow you’ll journey into 2 such stories that illustrate perfectly how this unfolds.

We connect with others based on a common belief, purpose or cause. If we’re not clear on what we believe, we obviously attract to ourselves others that aren’t clear either. On the other hand, if you know what you believe, what your purpose is, what you’re striving to achieve AND you’re clear about communicating that message, then you attract others that are on the same page.

This all happens subconsciously (for the most part). That’s because we gravitate to others that share our beliefs, we resonate with causes that mean something to us, and we connect with a commonly shared purpose in life. This is all done on an intuitive level, something that’s not often easy to put into words. We’re actually mirroring ourselves back to us and it feels comfortable. Remember the adage, “Birds of a feather flock together”?

Simon’s Why

How often have you been in a social situation and someone asks “What do you do?” How do you respond? Likely, you’ll go into what you do using the common canned response - I’m an accountant, I work in sales, I’m in the insurance industry…pretty common … and boring. It doesn’t tell you anything about the person other than their profession.

Here’s how Simon answers that…
“I teach leaders and organizations how to inspire people.”

Can you feel the difference?! If you resonate with the word inspire, you’ll naturally ask, “How do you do that?” or something similar, wanting to know more. If you don’t connect with his message, you’ll likely ask what kind of business it is, not really wanting to know more.

It all starts with WHY. Getting to why is the foundation of your business, your personal connections and a deeper understanding of who you are.

…but the million dollar question is … “How”.

Stay with us this week as we explore exactly that!

I recently had a great opportunity to connect with an extraordinary man with a powerful message…

Meet Simon Sinek.

Simon is extraordinary because he’s forging a new path for the way businesses do business (and having great success). His message is powerful because when we embrace it, everything changes.

What’s the message? Start With Why.

Why should this mean anything to you?

If you’re a business owner, you’ll want to explore your own “why” for being in business so you can identify and connect and communicate better with your ideal client.

If you’re a consumer (and we all are), it’s your wake up call to evaluate Who you do business with. Do they deserve your patronage? If they do, you’ll know why and appreciate the connection on both sides. If they don’t, take your well earned and deserved money to a company that will appreciate you more.

This week I’m going to share with you insights that Simon shared with me that have changed the direction of Mi Hamba. There have been both personal and professional nuggets of wisdom that brought about my own clarity that I hope will help you in gaining your own - for both your personal growth and connecting with your life purpose.

Simon insists this message be shared - after all, information is nothing if it’s hidden away for only a select few. If you learn something, share it. If something interests or intrigues you, share it.

Oh, and you’ll want to check out Simon’s new book (to be released this month). Start With Why

Come back tomorrow and I’ll share more of Simon’s story and his “Why”!

Did you know that personal growth is the key to the richer and more abundant life you’re looking for? It is!

To take an up-close-and-personal look at who we are, why we do what we do, why we don’t do what we know we must, and then take action to change our lives takes honesty, soul searching and a huge grocery bag of courage. It’s like learning to ride that shiny new bike - it may seem hard or awkward at first, but before you know it you’re racing down the road and riding hands-free!

Solution: Anything new requires a first step before you master it. You know the area of your life where you need personal growth. Start there - one thing at a time, one area at a time. This isn’t a race, but rather a journey for life. Take one small step today towards the one thing you know you must change.

Your New Support System:

Often we get stuck in our environments, not changing because we’re comfortable where we are - with the people we surround ourselves with, and the circumstances in our life. But are we really comfortable, or just afraid? That fear takes on many forms - fear of alienating our inner circle (family & friends), fear of failure, fear of success, fear of being alone…we have a long laundry list of fear excuses.

When we make a commitment to change something in our lives, it often makes those around us uncomfortable. They can (knowingly and unknowingly) sabotage our success because our change makes them look at their lives and they may not be ready to do that.

Solution: Surround yourself with supportive people that will encourage you in your personal growth. This could include family members and friends, but if it doesn’t, there are many other doors for you to explore. Join the Mi Hamba Journaling community, get involved in personal or group coaching, form or join a Meet-Up group, connect with other like-minded people on social networking sites and forums or join a masterminding group.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your new life. Taking that first step and surrounding yourself with those that support your new life is paramount to you living the rich and abundant life you deserve and desire.

As life changes, so do we. Personal growth isn’t a one-time shot that we give ourselves and then we’re good to go … for life. It takes work - inner work. It takes consistent and persistent self-awareness and action towards building the life we want, the life we all deserve.

We all have things that have happened in our lives that create deeply embedded beliefs and painful memories. They’re how we’ve created our stories. The responsibility of our lives is to choose to create a story that supports us living a life we’re passionate about.

Solution: Commit to a lifestyle of personal growth and self-exploration. Do this inner work daily, or at the very least, several times a week. It can be done in as little as 15-30 minutes a day. Participate in a self improvement program, read empowering books, educate yourself in something brand new, listen to audio books and programs. The important thing is to do something … anything - consistently and persistently.

A Rich and Abundant Life

Hhhmm, you say… this seems like an awful lot of work. Is it really worth it? Only you can answer that question. But first, answer this: Is it harder to struggle in life, be unhappy, worry and stress about money, and have continual conflict in our lives, or to go inside and learn who we are and get in touch with what’s most important to us so we can create that rich and abundant life?

Here’s some of the rewards of personal growth:
- Relationships improve and enjoy a deeper connection
- Work environment improves because our attitude improves
- Earning potential increase as our approach to life shifts
- New-found self-confidence and self-esteem that comes with knowing who we are
- The people and other resources you need easily appear into your life
- New opportunities consistently present themselves

By taking responsibility for our lives, making a commitment to our personal growth and following through with action, we set the stage for a richer and more abundant life. One that we design for ourselves.

Begin building your foundation today. There’s no time like the present to give yourself the gift of an amazing future.

Do you know anyone that always has an excuse for why their life is the way it is? Do you know them intimately? When we pass the buck and place blame on others for the circumstances of our life, we give others control to create our lives. Guess what we get? Usually not what we want, but what others want for us.

Taking responsibility for our lives is what personal growth is all about. When we take responsibility for ourselves - our actions, our words, our thoughts, our results - we’re saying “I’m in control of my life.” If we’re in control, then we have the ability to change whatever we don’t like or don’t want.

Solution: Take responsibility for every facet of your life. Remove excuses, blame and accusations from your vocabulary and replace them with the empowering words “I am”, “I will”, “I do”, “I choose”.

Take back control of your life by acknowledging that The Buck Stops Here!

Many of us want quick fixes that involve little work. Many more of us want change, but not necessarily change that involves changing ourselves.

Personal growth and self improvement mean building a foundation - one strong enough to support us while we change and while the world around us changes. We wouldn’t build a house without a strong foundation so why do so many of us take the haphazard, bank-aid approach to life?

The Quick-Fix Band-Aid

Quick fixes aren’t really fixes at all - they’re just expensive band-aids. Sure, initially they do the job, but over time we find that by not addressing the underlying issue (which is usually us) that the problem we just put a band-aid on gets bigger and bigger. That first band-aid may just have been a small scratch (or problem in this case), but because our quick-fix approach has become a habit we’re accustomed to, when we get a big cut (a bigger problem or major crisis in our life), we try a bigger band-aid and find that it just doesn’t work anymore.

Solution: Make a commitment to do the work on yourself when those little scratches happen in your life. The problems that come up in our lives are messages - deal with them as they come up and you’ll likely avoid most of those larger cuts. At the very least, you’ll be better equipped to deal with them if they happen.

I just returned from an overnight trip with my girlfriend Therese. It was her birthday and we decided to head out of town, stay overnight in a nice hotel, order room service and spend the next day shopping. During the 3-hour drive we talked and shared our insights into events in our lives and of the world.

It never ceases to amaze me what our friends can teach us. This “blitz-trip” reminded me that we all have wisdom to share, lessons to learn and lessons to teach, and that along this journey we call life, we MUST take time to enjoy the ride and include lots of laughter. We did all that.

I wanted to share with you something that my very dear friend said…

People generally do the best they can with what they know, what they learn and what they choose to disregard.

Whoa! When Therese said that, I had to get her to repeat it and I wrote it down. Read that last part again…“what they choose to disregard.”

Now that was bait for my inquisitive mind. Explain!

Therese said the everyone is always doing the best they can - in the good and bad times. That comes from what they know - which is what they’ve learned from experience and from others, part of their personal growth - and what they are currently learning. Take all that knowledge of what a person “knows” but doesn’t do - especially when they know it the right thing, or the best thing - and that’s what they’re choosing to disregard.

So this is personal responsibility, right?!

You betcha!

Why do we not do the things we know we must? There are many reasons - insecurity, uncertainty, worry, adversity, fear of failure, fear of success - but it all boils down to fear.

Here’s the amazing part …

If we take just one tiny step towards doing what we know we must, the fear falls away as we take another tiny step, and another, and another. Pretty soon, we wonder what we were afraid of after all!

Here’s a question (or two) to ask yourself…

What arm I choosing to disregard right now? What action can I take to overcome the fear that holds me back?

I will love people and use things.

We are not pawns to be manipulated and used for personal gain, but that’s exactly how some of us treat others - if it will benefit us in some way - at work, socially, politically and even with family. Integrity-based people always seek to build others up, supporting and encouraging them to victory. People who lack integrity take a more selfish approach, focusing on their own agenda without concern or regard for others.

Our integrity is the benchmark by which we’re judged by others and will determine the quality of people we attract into our life - friends, peers, associates - and the “inner circle of influence” we enjoy as a system of support, personal growth and wealth.

We are interdependent beings - we’ve been designed to interact with each other. Choosing to interact from a place of love is what people of integrity do.

On a final note to this series, it’s my unbending belief that people of integrity live richer lives - in health, wealth, relationships and spirituality. With so much riding on the quality of our lives, living an integrity-based one will not only have us sleeping better at night, but will reciprocate rewards wholly unanticipated.

With love and gratitude.