What is your WHY?

In my forays into prosperity, I have come to know that the most important ingredient for attracting wealth comes down to a very simple concept.

When I ask someone if they want to be successful, most people will say yes. Further inquiry usually reveals that people define success as some variation of financial freedom, financial independence, having enough. The very next question must be, what does financial freedom, or financial independence, or having enough mean to you? What would your life look like if you did?

This is where the real answers start to surface.

In interviewing folks, I have learned that everyone has a WHY, an underlying motivation for wanting to increase their bottom line. Some examples I have heard are as follows:

– I want to build a legacy for my children and for their children.
– I want to spend more time with my family.
– I want to travel.
– I want to contribute to a social cause.
– I want to put my kids through college.
– I want to pay off all of my bills and be debt-free.

Whatever the reason, that motivation, that why, is what will help you to persevere during the fallow times. In fact, the Why will define the end-product and the road to get there. We must start with the end in mind, and then fill in the steps it will take to get there.

I would go further to say that this holds true no matter what the goal. Whenever you find yourself longing for something, ask yourself why that particular something. What is the motivation behind it? Much may be revealed.

For example, one of my future goals is to own and operate a retreat center. When I ask myself why, I realize that one reason is to demonstrate to the world how to live sustainably, in harmony with the earth. The retreat center would be a study in sustainable living, using rainwater harvesting, solar and wind energy for power, and permaculture for gardening. It is quite clear that a strong motivation for me has to do with the significance of my relationship with the earth, and a passionate desire to share that with others who feel the same way.

Can I do that without a retreat center? Yes, I can and I do. So, why do I want a retreat center?

I realize that for me, no goal is worth having if there isn’t a spiritual component to it. Because I am clergy of an earth-based religion, it makes sense to have a place that not only honors the earth in practicality, but also in ceremony.

So I ask myself, what is my Why for wealth? One of my stronger answers is to increase the richness of being by living gently and in harmony with the earth and the cycles of life and to set that example for others to follow, should they choose to do so.

So, what is YOUR Why for success?