Revisiting my why

I’m creating a course for aspiring writers of what I like to call “spiritual fiction”–fiction that is based primarily on truth but told in a storylike manner, dealing with social issues and intended to make a spiritual difference within the reader. The first step of the program consists of defining (or defining) your why.

Before launching this into the atmosphere, I like to give a go myself. I assumed that defining my why would have been a breeze, considering that I discovered and polished my why a long time ago. However, when I went to write it down–from the top of my head–I found myself doing a lot of scratching out and rewording. Though I was discarding passages left and right, I committed to the process of continuously rewriting my “new” why until there was nothing left to strike through.

What I also noticed in the process is that we generally need two whys: one for your overall being and another for the specific task at hand. The overall why is kind of like the legacy you’d like to leave behind. I picture myself dying and being remembered on the big screen at Essence Fest, much like Maya Angelou was at the recent festival. Which of my words would scroll across my face?

The choice is ultimately yours. You can be whomever you choose to be. As long as you’re true to what that means for you, then you’ll find joy–though joy doesn’t exclude sadness. Just keep growing…

One of my current mantras is to take my time. Typically, I rush everywhere I go–even when I’m not late. I walk fast, drive fast, and even talk fast. I’m learning to work on that. So, though I felt like embracing the “gist” of my why and moving on, I didn’t. I took my time with it and the process lasted about an hour. However, it was exactly what I needed.

Interestingly, I was chatting with a friend last night. She asked how I’ve been and I let her know that I was good and was in a general state of organizing. Her response was that it was right where I was supposed to be given the pending season change; reflect on all you’ve learned, clear the mental/physical clutter, and prepare myself to receive what’s to come. All of that centers around clarity which is exactly what I got from revisiting my why.

Now clear, I can more confidently turn down opportunities that aren’t in alignment. Better focus on this book and develop my characters more thoroughly. Write my blurb when I’m done writing. Answer what the book is about more clearly once published. My why is the freaking foundation, walls, and roof of everything that I do.

When did you last visit your why?