I am a fan of Simon Sinek. If you don't know who he is, I highly encourage you to watch his TED talk, and if you want more, his interview with Jonathan Fields.
Simon proposes that the reason we follow someone (or buy from them) is not what we think. It's not because of what they do or how they do it, it's because of something deeper. It's because we believe what they believe. His idea is that if you want to be a better communicator, a better leader, it would serve you well to spell out your beliefs upfront. To articulate them explicitly. In other words, to start with why.
I like this concept. And it is surprisingly difficult!* Even for someone introspective, it is challenging to put my own why into words. I think being able to talk about our beliefs as something concrete is a valuable enterprise, a quest worth pursuing. So I've been trying to express my own beliefs, to summarize each one in a sentence. Here are a few I'd like to share, some of which are best captured by my favorite quotes.
I believe "whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal." (Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail)
I believe we need other people.
I believe "man is only half himself; the other half is his expression." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
I believe in the power of words and ideas. "No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world." (John Keating, Dead Poets Society)
I believe in movie quotes.
I believe life is art.
I believe the way to know life is to love many things. (Vincent van Gogh)
I believe in driving around with music loud, windows down.
I believe inspiration trumps instruction.
I believe participation beats belonging.
I believe love is our true destiny. (Thomas Merton)
I believe in contradicting myself. "Be like the fox who makes more tracks than necessary, some in the wrong direction." (Wendell Berry, my favorite poem)
I believe we are all works in progress.
I believe everything happens for a reason.
From using this as a journaling exercise, I've begun to see that these are not merely beliefs. They are the recurring themes of my life. The value is not just in being able to put them into words, or into a list, it's the journey that accompanies each one, the process of discovery I've undergone to develop them. They are what shapes me, or has shaped me. They make me who I am. But even expressed, it is still hard to paint my perspective without going deeper. So that is my new goal. Thank you, Simon, for the inspiration. Why seems like a good place to start.
*If you want help putting this into practice, check out Simon's book Find Your Why.
Simon proposes that the reason we follow someone (or buy from them) is not what we think. It's not because of what they do or how they do it, it's because of something deeper. It's because we believe what they believe. His idea is that if you want to be a better communicator, a better leader, it would serve you well to spell out your beliefs upfront. To articulate them explicitly. In other words, to start with why.
I like this concept. And it is surprisingly difficult!* Even for someone introspective, it is challenging to put my own why into words. I think being able to talk about our beliefs as something concrete is a valuable enterprise, a quest worth pursuing. So I've been trying to express my own beliefs, to summarize each one in a sentence. Here are a few I'd like to share, some of which are best captured by my favorite quotes.
I believe "whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal." (Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail)
I believe we need other people.
I believe "man is only half himself; the other half is his expression." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
I believe in the power of words and ideas. "No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world." (John Keating, Dead Poets Society)
I believe in movie quotes.
I believe life is art.
I believe the way to know life is to love many things. (Vincent van Gogh)
I believe in driving around with music loud, windows down.
I believe inspiration trumps instruction.
I believe participation beats belonging.
I believe love is our true destiny. (Thomas Merton)
I believe in contradicting myself. "Be like the fox who makes more tracks than necessary, some in the wrong direction." (Wendell Berry, my favorite poem)
I believe we are all works in progress.
I believe everything happens for a reason.
From using this as a journaling exercise, I've begun to see that these are not merely beliefs. They are the recurring themes of my life. The value is not just in being able to put them into words, or into a list, it's the journey that accompanies each one, the process of discovery I've undergone to develop them. They are what shapes me, or has shaped me. They make me who I am. But even expressed, it is still hard to paint my perspective without going deeper. So that is my new goal. Thank you, Simon, for the inspiration. Why seems like a good place to start.
*If you want help putting this into practice, check out Simon's book Find Your Why.
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