What Is Your Why? Aka Purpose

Hello, Sparkling Mind Community!
It is your thoughtful personality, and I hope this post finds you all well as you enjoy your summer. I want to share a question that’s been on my mind: What is your why? It’s guided me, and it might resonate with you, too. Let’s take a journey through the lives of two remarkable legends who, I believe, can inspire us all to live with purpose.

These two remarkable gentlemen, the Late President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and the Late Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, asked themselves a crucial question: What is their why? Their courage and determination in the face of adversity are genuinely inspiring. As politicians and great leaders, what led to their why? I urge you all to delve into their lives through research and documentaries to gain a detailed understanding of their inspiring lives. By applying their lessons to your own why, you can embark on a journey of personal growth and empowerment.

These legends, as I will refer to them, were individuals who understood their why and believed in it so much that they were ready to die for it if it got to that point. That sparkling mind is what I call authentic leadership! If everyone knows the meaning of true leadership, many will want to avoid jumping on that wagon. Why? It takes a lot of work, first knowing what your why is, meaning your purpose of creation. Remember, it is essential to know that we are not designed just to occupy space unless one makes it deliberately not to be purposeful. We all have a calling, a purpose to fulfill. However, it takes some soul searching, again (sounding like a broken record now, haha), a journey to self. Through this, you begin to have the knowledge of what comes naturally to you as a strength that is not for others and the opportunities it creates to add value to others. That, my dear thoughtful people, is what makes leaders.

Now, let’s go back to the legendary Sir Mandela and Sir Gandhi (I refer to them as sir out of respect). These leaders also had something in common: they did not only recognize their purpose but they were committed/dedicated to it to make sure it created a change and positive impact on humanity. Remember, this is something bigger than them, which made dedication become such an essential characteristic to fulfilling their purpose. Their commitment was what led to them being persistent, even if it got complicated and uncomfortable for them.

Most of us might be knowledgeable about the sacrifices it took these legends just to be dedicated to their purpose and persist in making sure that it comes to fruition. Sir Mandela sacrificed his freedom for more than two decades, while Sir Gandhi not only sacrificed his freedom but refused to eat anything until there was an end to the oppression of his people. He came out almost like a skeleton because he was dedicated to his purpose. What a sacrifice! Again, I encourage everyone to look into their lives and truly understand how they lived, fulfilling their why (i.e., purpose).

They both also left behind a living legacy of what authentic leadership is all about and what it takes to be one. Today, we are still looking for such leaders. Why? Well, people find it hard to even know who they indeed are and take time to find a journey to self in figuring out their purpose. The ones who end up figuring out their purpose want to avoid being bothered by committing to fulfilling it because it comes with a sacrifice (which can be inconvenient). Also, authentic leadership is a stark contrast to the self-serving leadership we often see. It’s not about who is in control or as a means to oppress; instead, it is about servanthood. Think about it! We have a lot of managers/oppressors as politicians and higher-level corporate employees who would rather want to make themselves look good at the expense of others than empower others to become better versions of themselves.

I am sharing my thoughts on this because we all have various purposes to fulfill to bring change and a positive impact to humanity, and we need to show our current and future generations what it takes to be an authentic leader. Understanding what is expected and what comes with it is crucial, as a lack of awareness can lead to fear and giving up. However, once you become aware of what to expect, it brings empowerment. Commitment and dedication have the power to transform not only our lives but also the world around us.

Now, let’s connect this to relationships of all sorts. Why are many relationships of any form/marriage dissolved today? It is because there is a lack of commitment/dedication to keeping relationships. This lack of commitment can have a detrimental impact on relationships. Are individuals willing to mutually be persistent in seeing their relationships/marriages win? Are individuals willing to make sacrifices that, even though challenges and hiccups arise, are committed to making them work? Also, in the case of a relationship that involves two or more individuals (in the case of a business), how can it win equally and mutually? It’s the mutual effort that empowers us and makes us responsible for the success of the relationship. Also, when it comes to two people involved and it is only one party taking the bulk of the sacrifices and responsibility, the relationship/marriage suffers due to a lack of commitment/dedication from both parties involved.

This brings me to a conversation I had with one of my long-time friends. I was discussing with him why he has yet to settle down to have a family. He actually said something that I truly respected, which was that it is hard to find people nowadays who are committed to being married and creating a family. It is sad but true. People think that marriage is just bearing the title of Mr. & Mrs. and having kids, but it’s more than that. It is about commitment to raising a family that will help raise nations and become helpful in impacting humanity and fulfilling their purpose. The societal impact of a committed family is immense. I have no doubt in my mind that for my friend to give me such a response, he totally understands what it takes to be committed and persists in making sure that his marriage thrives, even though he is going through sacrifices to overcome challenges along the way.

Authentic leaders are committed to ensuring that their goals and objectives are achieved without the need for constant oversight. This level of commitment often involves making sacrifices, but these are sacrifices that bring honor and make one remembered even after one’s demise. It actually builds a brand for you naturally, meaning people will know you for who you are and what you stand for; for instance, Sir Mandela and Sir Gandhi are known for human rights and fighting against the oppression of humanity. It also makes you a leader in that area, so people can get advice from you, and you become valuable, which in turn brings honor. If you want to know more about how taking responsibility brings honor through sacrifice, you can read my post on Unlocking The Power Of Responsibility: How Sacrifices Lead to Honor.

Lastly, I would like to share this with you to make sure dedication with loyalty is clear. There are two different concepts. Dedication is a long-term commitment, and no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient it may be, there is a commitment to see it through. For instance, a dedicated employee will continue to work diligently even when faced with challenging tasks. On the other hand, loyalty might come with a motive. Even though people are committed to a wrong cause, you will see that they are ready to die for it. However, one might be loyal just to get something out of that cause, whether for good or bad reasons and after they have gotten that benefit, they do not become loyal anymore. This is why people experience betrayal; there was no form of commitment to the relationship in the first place. From people’s motives, you will begin to realize if people are committed or not; they are just loyal for some time to get some form of benefit, and after receiving it, it’s a wrap. So, please, sparkling minds, do not confuse these two concepts.

All these should make you understand that there is no honor without sacrifice, there is no sacrifice without persistence, and there is no persistence without commitment/dedication. For instance, Sir Mandela sacrificed 27 years of his life in prison for the cause of equality, and Sir Gandhi endured numerous hunger strikes and personal hardships. These are the reasons why they are both legends that have left a living legacy of equality and fighting for human rights, and we still use them as examples to raise positive awareness that can bring impactful changes even after they are no more. This positive awareness, when harnessed, has the power to bring about significant and lasting changes. Also, reasons why marriages of 20,30, 40, and even 50 years or more are still thriving due to dedication and reasons why team members build trust for their team leaders because the team leader is willing to sacrifice for the team and empower the team members to see them win, bringing productive and exceptional results in their projects, all these through authentic leadership from knowing their why and committed to the cause!

So, my sparkling mind community, I want to again take some time to remind you to know your why (aka purpose) and how you work towards making it into a responsibility and making the sacrifices that will not only make you an authentic leader but also create a brand for you. People will know who you are and what you stand for, bringing honor to you by remembering your legacy for decades to come.

Our community thrives on active participation. In the comment section, share your thoughts on authentic leadership and successful relationships. How does knowing your ‘why’ and being dedicated to your cause shape you as a true leader? Your participation will enrich our shared learning experience.

Stay Thoughtful!