What’s Your Why?

John Maxwell says, “the two most important days in your life are…the day you were born and the day you figure out why?”

Have you ever woken up and wondered why you are doing what you do in your career? I was confused for many many years and was not sure what my purpose was. I started my career very young in the family business selling janitorial supplies business to business through distribution. In my 20’s I was selling toilet paper and calling on janitors, this was NOT glamorous and very humbling at times. It was a paycheck though and a very secure industry, so I remained loyal to the janitorial world and grew slowly in my career.

How do we find our work purpose? We find it through our passion, our giftedness, and lots of prayer. Let’s look at passion – what do you sing about, cry about, and dream about? These things drive passion and will create energy! It’s what gets you out of bed in the morning! When you have passion for something you can’t stop thinking about it! Passion is amazing!!

Let’s look at giftedness – what do you do well? What comes naturally to you in the talent arena? These are skills that can be grown, but you are naturally good at and like doing.

Let’s look at prayer – it is when we get alone with God and ask Him to search our hearts and know our thoughts. We cry out to Him to show us the way through his Word, prayer, people, or circumstances. We have to have faith and believe in Jesus to get to God in prayer. Please seek Jesus!! When we match our passion with our giftedness and ask for God’s help…then we start to discover our purpose!

When we discover our purpose we find our “why!”

When we find our “why” we will start to develop self discipline. When we have a life of direction – we have something to aim for and purpose will flourish.

To be disciplined just for disciplines sake will usually end in failure or disappointment. We have to be challenging ourselves to go uphill, climbing toward our purpose to keep the self discipline alive and active.

Four years ago I was saved and now have a personal relationship with God through Jesus. I will be 50 next month and have finally found my work purpose – my “why!”

My title has changed in the janitorial selling world, I am now the Director of Training and Development for all departments at Morrisette. My purpose is to influence people and add value through teaching! When I use my gift of teaching it compounds my purpose. God was developing me for 20 plus years as a toilet paper sales person into a teacher. Now I get to help develop people for a living and be light through which God shines. Ain’t God the best!!

Once we discover our purpose we are able to move forward to influence others in the leadership process.