why do you get up in the morning?

Why do you get up in the morning?

Why is it that we can do the same things, day in and day out - wake up, go to work, meetings, errands, gym, home...rinse and repeat - and yet we inherently do not reflect on WHY we do it?

Simon Sinek's recent bestselling book "Start with Why" has certainly instigated reflection in my life.  Not just reflection, but also analysis:  when you ask an employee to do something, how much more motivated is he/she when the "why" for the task is known?  Why do I do certain things, like washing my car or worrying about what others think about me?  I have found that when I drill down into an issue and search for the real "why" for my reasoning, it's simultaneously unnerving and clarifying. Try it.

Let's ask the question:  why DO you get up in the morning?  Ask "why" (about 5-10 times) until you realize your true motivation.

My response goes something like this:

Because I have to go to work. Blah.
(why?)
Because I need money to live, and right now that means working my white collar job.
(why?)
Because  I haven't reached the point yet where I can wake up when I want to and smash that alarm clock to smithereens.
(why?)
Because sometimes I live afraid.  Afraid of stepping out and taking a chance.
(why?)
Because I've let the lie of "survive this life" hook me in.  Instead of thrive.  Because I'm learning more about this way of thinking that trusts God wants good for me. 
(why?)
Because I want to live my life unafraid and without regrets. 
 (why?)
Because I believe that life is a gift, and if we don't wake up and live it, it will pass me (us) by.  I want to get to heaven and sigh with peace that I lived fully and unafraid.

This was kind of circular reasoning, but that's not the point.  The point is that asking "why" gets you thinking about your deep inner life, and your motivation.  When you latch onto that, life suddenly comes into focus - I get up in the morning because I am striving to live my life to the fullest (shout out to the Carpe diem'ers of the world), and although I haven't gotten it all figured out yet, I keep pressing inward and upward. 

matrix wake up call