Why?
Happy Spring! (or happy autumn to all of our south-of-the-equator friends!)
If you're like me, you're very motivated and driven to perform, achieve, and accomplish in whatever realm you operate. We talk a lot on this forum about the laws of attraction, the Secret, and other forward-thinking positive approaches to achievement. There is another consideration I like to periodically check in with myself on down that road towards whatever it is that we think will bring us fulfillment...
Hmmm, a deceivingly simple question. Why am I doing what I am doing? Why is this so important to me? Why does my fulfilment need to look this way or come in that particular package? If you have ever asked this question of yourself, you are way ahead of the many who go, do, try, etc. "just because". I know quite often in my experience, the first answer to the question is not even close to the whole truth. The answer we give to the world is RARELY pure and honest. And for whatever reason, we are often afraid to even let ourselves know what is really driving us to do what we do and be who we are. However there is great power in looking at our core impartially and simply observing what motivates us. Many times those reasons were set up by your 5 year old self and more often than not, they are no longer valid. Or perhaps your WHAT (goals) is still the same but your WHY has evolved and matured - which can change your approach entirely. It definitely changes your energetic approach - which changes what you attract to yourself along the way.
Rest assured, I don't want you to publish your WHY here on the forum. That is something personal for you alone to discover about yourself. But I do encourage you to take a moment during your spring cleaning to take an inventory of your beliefs and see if they continue to support who you are today.
Take care of each other.
All Things Possible!
Chris
If you're like me, you're very motivated and driven to perform, achieve, and accomplish in whatever realm you operate. We talk a lot on this forum about the laws of attraction, the Secret, and other forward-thinking positive approaches to achievement. There is another consideration I like to periodically check in with myself on down that road towards whatever it is that we think will bring us fulfillment...
Why?
Hmmm, a deceivingly simple question. Why am I doing what I am doing? Why is this so important to me? Why does my fulfilment need to look this way or come in that particular package? If you have ever asked this question of yourself, you are way ahead of the many who go, do, try, etc. "just because". I know quite often in my experience, the first answer to the question is not even close to the whole truth. The answer we give to the world is RARELY pure and honest. And for whatever reason, we are often afraid to even let ourselves know what is really driving us to do what we do and be who we are. However there is great power in looking at our core impartially and simply observing what motivates us. Many times those reasons were set up by your 5 year old self and more often than not, they are no longer valid. Or perhaps your WHAT (goals) is still the same but your WHY has evolved and matured - which can change your approach entirely. It definitely changes your energetic approach - which changes what you attract to yourself along the way.
Rest assured, I don't want you to publish your WHY here on the forum. That is something personal for you alone to discover about yourself. But I do encourage you to take a moment during your spring cleaning to take an inventory of your beliefs and see if they continue to support who you are today.
Take care of each other.
All Things Possible!
Chris
posted by Christopher Showerman @ 3/21/2007 11:15:00 AM
22 Comments:
At 8:07 PM, March 22, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Thanks for the new topic Chris - it's sometimes eerie how close your questions come to my current mood sometimes and this time is no exception.
For whatever reason, I've been doing a lot of "why" asking this week. Not so much because anything is wrong, just a little nagging feeling that keeps poking at my brain. Possibly post show let down, possibly something else - but with the coming of spring (here in Michigan at least)it's a good time to "clean house" and get my goals in order - now that one big project is virutally over(with our performance at AACT Fest this weekend--if you are just coming to Chris' site for the first time, check a couple of older threads to find out what I am talking about), I may just be looking for the next one!
My continued best wishes to everyone!
Dave
At 8:10 AM, March 23, 2007 ,
Christopher Showerman said...
Dave!
Great to hear from you. So how did the Scottish do at AACT? It sounded like an amazing whirlwind in your life with evrything you had going on. Congratulations!
I'm glad the topic spoke to you too. I have no idea where these topic ideas come from - they just come. I find it so fascinating when the achievement of a goal does not necessarily mean the achievement of fulfillment.
All Things Possible!
Chris
At 5:16 PM, March 23, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Dave ATP and good luck for the festival at the weekend.
Chris interesting new topic and one i'll return to to post on properly once I've had some sleep since this was an entropic week but in some respects a positive one also as i had to face a few ghosts and see things from a different perspective, but more on that later.
Until then lots of love and Bright Blessings everyone
Angi
At 5:41 PM, March 23, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Hello, dear Forum Family!
My "why" is for survival. I do what I do to survive morally, spiritually, and financially. I consider myself lucky that I have found a way to survive on this planet and pay the bills by doing something that gives me great satisfaction. At the end of the day when I lay in bed, I always ask myself "Was this a good day?" The answer is yes, but sometimes qualified by events, decisions and other people.
There are many challenging days when the "why" needs constant reminding, but I ground myself and realize that the "why" is because someone's life may have been saved because I have helped to make sure the blood he or she has received was the safest, purist and most potent product I could provide.
And maybe that "someone" has a family and friends whose lives were affected because that person is still alive. And maybe helping to save that person's life has, in a way, saved my own because every good deed I do makes me stronger and closer to the universe--which is my survival.
But my satisfaction and fulfillment does not come just from what I do professionally, but from the world around me. I hurry home from work to find out how Adrian's day was and revel in the stories of his experiences. I can't wait to come home and hug the cats, and see how much the garden has grown, and read (currently Eragon), and watch some entertaining television, and catch up with friends, and rest. These events also contribute to my survival, and I am addicted to them.
All the above is my spiritual existence, and I feel very grounded in my life and in the universe. Every time I am pay good attention to my surroundings and my life, I see the face of God.
Wow! Writing is also part of my survival, and I feel very alive right now.
Take care everyone...be happy and well...and donate blood if you can.
Your brother in Pittsburgh,
Patrick
At 2:15 PM, March 25, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Dearest Forum Family
As I posted earlier this has in some respects been a tough week in which I've had to be strong and supportive to two close friends going through a bad patch, another friend, the death of a close relative and throughout it all we've been doing end of term assessments on the children at chool, which is always stressful as being a TA I have to assess the less accademically able.
Throughout all this somehow I've been able to remain focused, and able to give my support to rthose who need it without depleting my own energies in the process. Thanks Chris for this topic which has made me ask Why? and how?
The Why I'm still working on and to be honest i'm not sure that I'll ever know the answer to that one as it's probably burried so deep inside along with my 3 year old inner child.
But the how? That's easier to answer. In being there for others this week I've spent a lot of the time on the phone and only today realised that I've taken on board and absorbed many of the things people have posted here in response to Chris's topics, and also advice given to me at a time when I was really depressed a few years ago by someone I hardly knew who's now one of the most important and special people in my life.
I guess for me having people there when I need them and being there in turn for others who need my support, knowing when to give and also when to take from others, to love those we know and care about unconditionally that we can accept them for who they are, forgive mistakes and accept what they offer without demanding more, and in turnbeing true to ourselves and each other. If I can aspire to that then ATP.
Hope everyone's has a good fulfilling week. With lots of love, hugs and Bright Blessings.
Angi
At 7:30 PM, March 25, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Hello all - Angi, it sounds like your week is going better - I hope it is.
I'm writing to update everyone on our AACT Fest entry and I am pleased to report that though our production of "Macbeth" was not selected to continue on to the regional festival, we held our own against some very strong competition and the winners were both excellent productions. And, our lead in the role of Macbeth was given one of two "Best Performance by a Male" awards! And the judges were very complimentary towards our production as well - it was a great weeked of great theatre!
Now, I am going to get some rest for a couple weeks before taking on the role of Theo in "The Underpants" adapted by Steve Martin. I'm looking forward to getting back onto the stage again. Directing is fun and fulfilling, but I really enjoy acting.
I hope everyone stays well - ATP.
Dave
At 9:18 PM, March 25, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Hello forum family...what a deep topic you've given us again, Chris. Dave...glad your theater experience brought you so much joy, and you are ready to tackle another aspect of doing what you love. I think that's a lot of the "why" we do things. If we can do what we love to do and know and feel that we are doing it as an expression of our purpose, then it will bring us joy, and therefore bring joy to others. To me, that's the essence of "why" I would choose to do something. And it sounds to me that everyone is thinking about the same things...Sometimes our joy level is challenged by life circumstances. At those times it can be difficult to bring ourselves back up the scale again. Believing there is a purpose for everything, no matter how challenging those circumstances, and trusting that all will work out, if you are working toward your purpose, has always helped me. Someone suggested to me that I should mention on the forum, the book that nearly jumped off the rack when we were at the airport in Florida. I'd been hoping for a kind of ATP workbook to appear...and recognized Jack Canfield from Chicken Soup and also the Secret film. Remember my question to Chris awhile back? Well, that's the title of this book: "The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be." I'm working on that...and I'll report back now and then! All things beautiful to all of you at this Easter time. Sue
At 12:20 PM, March 26, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Hi, dear forum family,
hope you are all doing well.
Dave, glad to hear your play was a success and you had a great time. I would have liked to have been there, it's really high time beaming was invented! Your new play also sounds interesting. Hope we will hear more about it.
I'll be off to London and Stratford-upon-Avon tomorrow for almost a week and we will enjoy some fine British Theatre - the highlight being King Lear with Sir Ian McKellan in the lead. I am looking forward to that very much.
Another deep subject to ponder and I agree with what was said by Patrick, Angi and Sue. Additionaly, for me, the place where I am now has come about more through why I chose not to take another path rather than conciously choosing to walk this one. I believe that we all have a place in the great order of the universe, only some of us are more in tune with it. Like the thing we all have experienced of coming across the right book, the right info etc. at exactly the right time. I think this is part of it.
Have a great week you all and remember that all things are possible and to do it for the Jazz! :)
Big hugs,
Ute
At 12:22 PM, March 26, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
P.S. Almost forgot! I heard about the book by Barack Obama "The Audacity of Hope" and when I was ordering it I found out about his other book "Dreams from my Father". As this was written earlier I read that first and I only started with "Audacity". They fit into this subject as Barack is very open about his fears, the reasons that drove and drive him. They are both insightful books, with lots of ATP and I think you might enjoy them too.
Ute
At 6:36 PM, March 28, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
A mid-week greeting to the forum family...wishing Ute a great trip and looking forward to hearing more about your theater experiences when you get back. We have Stratford on Avon across the pond here in Ontario. I went once many years ago, but my husband is now interested in going sometime to see some Shakespeare. Being inspired on the forum here, maybe it's time to brush up our Shakespeare! Would have enjoyed Dave's play, too. -- Thanks Ute for the book info on Barack Obama. I hadn't realized he was an author. Sounds very intriguing, especially with the election year coming. -- Also, I wanted to say, Patrick, you do seem very grounded and doing the work you are meant to do. That is the real secret, to me. I also think one of the most satisfying things a person can do, is to help someone else realize or get an inkling of what they might be meant to do...and of the potential that is in them. That is a priceless gift.
I've been thinking about what you said, Angi, about being there for people, staying focused and managing to have the stamina to do that without depleting yours. That is truly a gift, as well. I know I've thought about that a lot, because when you realize what you would like to accomplish ATP-wise, then you also realize it's going to take a huge amount of stamina.
Having the spiritual stamina needed to do your life work is so essential. I'm always praying for that. I enjoyed reading that you are absorbing things from all the forum topics. I have too, and I return often to see what beautiful insights you all have. Amazingly, it often is just what I need to hear on that day. Such as your comment on loving those we care about unconditionally, accepting them as they are, forgiving and being true to each other. --
What a wonderful exchange of views here. It's exciting to think about how the forum has grown and how many lives have been touched by it already. Beautiful ATP blessings to all...Sue
At 1:30 AM, April 03, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
WHY?
Um, cos I was hungry.... and it was already defrosted.
Clint Morris
ShorrisFilm
www.shorrisfilm.com
(pondered that one for a while my deep-thinking friend)
At 12:40 PM, April 03, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Hi dear forum family!
I'm back from England. We had a blast there and all the performances of the plays we saw were brilliant. I will tell you more on the weekend.
Sue, thanks for your comments. It's always interesting to read your thoughts.
Clint, your comment made me laugh. ;)
Have a great Easter Holiday everyone!
Big hugs,
Ute
At 12:17 PM, April 06, 2007 ,
Christopher Showerman said...
Thank you all for sharing your comments and personal insights. I'm impressed with your candor and willingness. I liked that some of you mentioned the books that have influenced you lately as well -Eragon/Patrick and Audacity of Hope/Ute.
I have been reading a book called "The Dark Side of the Light Chasers" given to my by a close friend. This book by Debbie Ford addresses issues like the one I brought up here. If we examine our whys, we often find the makings of the mask that we put between the outside world and our true authentic spirit.
Authenticity, in life as in art, is such a rare and powerful state of being, experiencing, and communicating. How many layers do I wear between who I really am and how I relate to the world? To strip away all the devices of the polite and the comical and the intellectual leaves us in a very vunerable and exposed state of being. I suspect it would be difficult to survive in our culture being completely raw and exposed to the world at all times. I'm sure that's why some of our greatest artists are also some of our most tortured souls. Yet we all have a visceral reaction to authenticity - an honesty that goes beyond telling the truth. It's almost impossible to describe, yet when we're open to it, it's instantly recognizable. Often children live with a freedom that only knows to be authentic, not yet having developed the layers of defense many of us place between our vunerability and the real world. Layers that provide a sense of security in exchange for the muted colors and textures of life.
This weekend may you celebrate a rebirth of your boundless ability to experience your life and express yourself.
All Things Really Are Possible,
Chris
At 6:59 PM, April 06, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Dearest Forum Family,
For those who celebrate the Christian faith, Happy Easter. For those who celebrate the Jewish faith, Happy Passover. For those who celebrate the faith of the Universe, Happy Weekend!
Chris, I love you for your ability to think and to make others think as well. I believe thought is the center of the soul as it allows us to explore and discover and be aware.
It has been a long five days and I am ready for the rejuvination and rebirth Chris wishes for us all. Blood collection teams in Pittsburgh and Chicago (and all around the US) will be working on Easter Sunday to continue collecting the gift of life required for hospitals right now. The blood supply is low enough that we will be hunting donors instead of eggs!
If you want to celebrate a rebirth this weekend, please go to your local blood collection center and donate a basketfull of life! Someone's baby or mother or husband or friend will need it.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. I wish each of you to accept the bounty the Universe has to give.
My love to you all,
Patrick in Pittsburgh
At 6:26 AM, April 09, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Hello dear forum family.
With the coming of Spring it seems it is not only the season that brings in warmth (although I hear Michigan had snow?!)..coming here always makes me smile..Thank you all for your great posts and food for thought.
Ute, welcome back! Only two more weeks before we really get to catch up: I am so looking forward to seeing you again. Dave, you'll be happy to hear your theatre adventures have inspired me to dig up some of my old theatre memories- I've been watching old tapes of some of the plays I was involved in waaay back and it was so much fun to see those again. I remembered almost all of the lines still (and I was never supposed to know them in the first place!)! So thank you.
Chris, I find your view on authenticy very interesting and I can relate to it a great deal.I think if we all put in more effort to find our true selves and dare to show it to the outside we might be surprised of our capabilities in many areas. As for your 'why' issue- all our why's and the answers change through the various stages of our life, don't you think. What may have been our priority at one point does not neccessarily have to be that today..or tomorrow. but it is definitely good to revise our 'why' every now and then and focus on the important things in life once again!
A little happy note to close this post and hopefully make you all out there smile too when you read this: yesterday my husband participated with our dogs in the agility club match at our local doggyschool and won first place with our Sam in the 'advanced' category! You can imagine I am very proud.
Happy thoughts and warm wishes to all..and Be Inspired!
At 11:05 AM, April 12, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Wow Tom, what a big step to take but it sounds like so much fun. Good luck on this great adventure and keep us posted!
At 8:14 PM, April 14, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Dear Forum Family
Hope you all had a bright, beautiful, blessed Easter and that spring will shower you with incredible possibilities to blossom and grow in your lives.
Tom, I'm struck by your courage and vision to follow your own incredible dream that led you to where you are going now. It sounds so exciting and full of promise...I look forward to your updates from time to time...we know you'll touch many lives with your kind heart and spirit. Hope you'll post often from Mexico with some of your wonderful stories...what a leap of faith for you, wishing you Godspeed...
Patrick.... Best wishes for your spring blood drives...and keep reminding us often! I do hope to get going again on that. Thanks so much for your inspiration to us and for your work in that field....
Jaschenka...what fun you are having with your dogs in the shows...what are some of the agility maneuvers? I saw a segment on TV the other night where the dog was trained to weave in and out of posts...very intriguing...anything like that? Do you have photos on your photobucket?
Ute, I saw your book on our trip... haven't picked it up yet, but hope to yet. I've been reading "The Shift" by Owen Waters. Very thought provoking stuff about how times are changing and a lot of what is brought up in this forum. We just returned from Virginia where our daughter and son-in-law are...until their move to Maryland in June. Looks like we'll be traveling to the East Coast more now that they won't be going back to California.
Travel is good for the soul, they say. Sounds like most everyone on the forum loves to travel and you all seem to gain such insight from your travels that you share here. Often, just placing yourself in a different place for a little while can transform your whole outlook or assist you in digging deep to find that authentic self that Chris talks about...and remind you of who you are and what you are meant to be doing in your life.
On a lighter note...I wonder if anyone read the recent Frank and Ernest cartoon where they were giving a modern twist to a traditional quote. It goes like this: "If you don't have anything nice to say about a person....you've got some great material for a blog!"
Sending much love and hugs to all who blog here! Sue
At 6:01 PM, April 15, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Happy Spring to all.
Our computer crashed a few weeks ago and I have been with out until just a few days ago. We lost most of our files and our Yahoo accounts seem to be gone forever hence why I'm blogging as "anonymous".
I love that everyone here likes to read. I don't get to read as much as I would like as I have so much crammed into each day (I'm not complaining, I have done it to myself) that by the time I get to sit, it is tme to go to bed.
Tom, A beach in Mexico sounds really inviting at the moment. I have to fire two people and I am not looking forward to the confrontation. It is bound to get ugly (Patrick, I'll let you know when this goes down. There will plenty of blood flowing LOL). This has been a long time coming and many chances have been given. I guess these two have mistaken my basic good nature as weakness....big mistake.
Jaschenka, Congratulations on the agility placement. I have been competing in and teaching dog agility for quite a few years. Agility, in my opinion, is the best form of relationship training you can do with your dog. My current competition dog is going on 12 years old but still keeps up with the younger crowd. Waiting in the wings is my 11 month old border collie who shows great promise in the sport. I am very proud of this kid. (You can see his picture on his breeders web page
www.hiddenacreshorses.com/bordercollieindex.html He is the big picture on the right).
Our club is hosting it's annual agility trial the first weekend in may. I am the coordinator of this event and we are getting down to crunch time. The trial will be three days with about 700 runs a day. It is a huge undertaking but it usually comes off with out much trouble.
For those that don't know about dog agility, you can see it on youtube.com, search dog agility.
Hope everyone has a gerat week
Take Care
Tim
At 2:44 AM, April 17, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Hey all and thanks for the congrats on us winning the agility competition.
@Sue: yep, those weaves are indeed a part of the trial, together with a tunnel, jumps and catwalk and all sorts of other fun stuff. Our Sam enjoys the weaves a lot and he is very fast with them. Luna likes them too, although we do agility with her on a more recreational level due to her disabilities, but she is having a blast.
I am sorry to say I have no action pics of our agility activities (and I have to add that it is my husband who does the agility training- I mainly do obedience) but I do have plenty of doggy pics in my photobucket. We might end up in the club magazine because I do know photos were taking during the clubmatch.
Quite an undertaking, Tim, organising a contest like that, but such fun! Your website is wonderful and your dogs are gorgeous. It's good to see such a wide variety of colors- over here the 'basic' colors are still most popular and lots of people get confused hearing a Border Collie comes in anything else then black and white! Funny enough we ended up having two tri-color dogs. A total coincidence but we love it.
I am especially fond of the brindle on your site- that is very rare over here it seems. Thank you for sharing!
(In case anyone is interested- here's my two darlings: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v505/Jaschenka/BORDER%20COLLIES/?action=view¤t=IMG_0201.jpg )
So, getting back on topic to the question 'why' at the beginning of this discussion. Why do we do agility? Because we love it!!!
Have a great week everyone. Elvish greetz, Be Inspired!
PS Ute looking forward to having you over for the weekend, we'll have a blast! XXX
At 9:13 PM, April 20, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Hello Forum Family....Dropping by to wish everyone a "Happy Earth Day"! With all the talk of spring cleaning, both within and without, here's hoping that celebrating our stewardship of the planet this weekend and the renewal and resilience that springtime brings, will find us taking better care of the earth and each other as well.
Tim and Jaschenka, thanks for the info on agility training...fascinating stuff and so important. It's plain that you both love your work with dogs...and they are beautiful. BTW Jaschenka and Ute, hope you are having a wonderful visit!
I forgot to mention on our trip to Virginia, we enjoyed a visit to Jamestown where they are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English Colony here (May 14) with the first landing of the ships Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery (my husband loved seeing the replicas of those ships) being commemorated at Cape Henry in Virginia Beach on April 26, where we also visited. So there's a lot of festivity going on down there this year. The history is so intriguing. Wish we'd had more time. It makes you reflect on a lot of things, and realize how much we take for granted. Our visitor's guide noted that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is expected to visit the Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown area in May. There'll be an exciting time going on all year for sure.
Wishing you all things vibrant, beautiful, possible and fun! Sue
At 6:39 AM, April 21, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Hello everyone!
I've been doing some traveling of my own recently - Phoenix, Arizona (business) - but I've been following all the discussion when I could and as always found it insightful as well as food for thought.
Sue, I've been to Jamestown and other parts of Virginia myself and also found the history intriguing. Too many Americans seem to think that our history started in 1776, but there is a rich history that dates back thousands of years that is often overlooked as well - as a visit to any of the Native American historical sites will attest.
A happy Earth Day to all! May all your wishes come true.
Dave
At 10:31 AM, April 22, 2007 ,
Anonymous said...
Happy Earth Day again...It's a picture perfect one here in Michigan. I've been noting the increased focus on it each year in the media...so wonderful to see. Dave, thanks for the comment about Jamestown. If you have any other favorite places in Virginia or Maryland you think we'd enjoy, that would be great to know. I'm sure we'll be going there a lot in the next three years. Meanwhile, after we returned home, I picked up a little plaque in a store with a photo that reminded me of that little band of men approaching an unknown shore. The quote was from Andre Gide: "One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."
May you all discover beautiful new lands in your life this year...Sue
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