“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

“Why?”

The word becomes like nails on a chalkboard for parents and teachers around the world. It questions authority, it screams defiance but did you know that it also provides motivation? Personally and in business, having a strong why is how people have survived. Dare I even say that it has been the push that some needed to thrive in the midst of some of the toughest situations in their life or business.

I have seen this one word question stir up frustration but it wasn’t until I started my entrepreneurial journey in 2014 that I could see the positive side of it. It became a question that gave me clarity and kept me from exhausting time, money, and energy on things that did not move my needle forward. I mean, the goal is progress and when we neglect to ask this question we find ourselves on the hamster wheel.

I have been on that hamster wheel…and it is not a fun experience.

When you know your why it allows you to see three things in life and business that are keys to reaching success.

1. See your value

When you have a strong why you are less likely to under value what you bring to the table. From networking to choosing a price for your products and services, your why will set a standard. This is one of the keys to your success that will help you build a strong foundation. Without it you will find yourself being easily distracted by new trends, social media highlight reels, and the opinions of people who are not trying to do what you are trying to do.

Keep your why in front of you!

2. See your strength

A strong why becomes the tow truck you need in your journey. You will come in contact with obstacles that you did not plan for. (Issues in the economy, illness in your immediate circle or a natural diaster for example) When these obstacles appear there are three responses that most people have.

Fight

Flight

Freeze

A strong why doesn’t whisper in your ear…it shouts! It is the coach that many didn’t realize they needed. It is the reminder of what you are fighting for and that if you freeze or take flight then you are risking something important to you. You are risking something valuable to you. You are risking everything! It is in this moment that you are put under the magnifying glass to determine how tough you really are.

3. See your opportunities

In business, when you don’t see an opportunity…you create the opportunity. This is influenced by having a strong why because there will be times when things do not go according to plan. (This happens more times than we would like) Seeing these moments face to face can spark creative ideas and give way to productive conversations. When things don’t fit perfectly you are able to find a way to make necessary changes.

The changes we make will not always be changes that feel good but they can be the changes we need for things to work out for our good. There is little to no space for being comfortable in these moments. You can ask any successful entrepreneur and they will tell you that these were the moments that shifted the momentum in their business and in their life.

My why made me do it and I’m glad I did it.

When I started in business in 2014, my why was simple…I wanted to make more money. That is easy right? The problem here is that when the money did not magically show up I quit one thing and went on to do something else. I started feeling just as unfulfilled in this entrepreneurial journey as I did working a job. That was not how any of this was supposed to go right?

I went back to the drawing board and asked myself why.

Why did I want to publish 100 books?

Why did I want to do a podcast?

Why did I want to create a blog?

Why did I want to stand on stages and tell my story?

When I sat down with myself I found the answer. My why was not the money. The money would be a product of me fulfilling my why. My why was to create a better future for my children. My why was to shift the status quo for women who felt their life was not valuable. My why was to be the support that I needed when I was going through some of the toughest moments in my life.

I found that when I shifted my why, I also shifted my circle and the people I networked with. My podcast and blog engagement doubled and tripled when at one time I hardly had any engagement. There were people who started to align with my brand because they also were in alignment with my why. This took me years to get right but it is my hope that as you read this post…it won’t take you quite so long. Determine what your why is and make it a strong why.

When asked what the power of why has done for the co-authors of Power of Why: Volume 2 about what the power of why has allowed them to do…here is what they said:

Jennifer Major

The Power of my why has empowered me to grow a successful business while also caring for my family.

Lara Piu

The Power of my why has empowered me to empower women across the globe with the inspiration they need to start their own online business.

Olufunmi Olutile

.The power of my why fuels me to keep going even at the darkest and lowest of times reminding me that the journey is as important as the destination.

Dawn Kennedy

The power of my why has empowered me to speak out about the shame we often feel around money mistakes and to start changing the conversation around business money management.

Caren Cantrell

The Power of My Why has empowered me to spark the flow of creativity, knowledge, and wisdom through the written word so that people around the world feel heard, enriched, and supported in their journey.

Sharon Lee CassanoLochman

The Power of My Why has empowered me to help women connect to their inner voice and release their power through words.

Irene Gabelnick

The Power of my why has empowered me to inspire women to live life on Your terms.

Wendy H. Jones

The Power of Why has empowered me to, take stock of my abilities and stop prevaricating.

Lisa Mcgrath

The Power of my WHY has empowered me to make my mess my message. I now empower other women to live an Intentional Life with clarity, purpose, and direction.

Sher Downing

The Power of my why has empowered me to create a membership that provides access to training at all levels to enhance their personal brand and speaking opportunities.

Benny Ng

The Power of My Why has empowered me to turn closet singers into confident singers by showing people they were born with a voice and they deserve to use it with confidence.

Jennifer Emery

The Power of My Why is changing lives through music, movement and mindset through my online membership.

Isabel Ann Banerjee

The Power of my WHY has empowered me to have the Power to Grant Wishes – starting with my own and positively impacting lives around the world.

Renee Lowry

The power of why has inspired me to meet amazing women from all over the world, sharing in our business goals and building lasting friendships.

Petra Christensen

The Power of my WHY has empowered me to find (and be proud of) my Authentic Self & help others to Live & Ride with Confidence!

Meet Altovise:

With over ten years of writing, Altovise uses her platforms to create opportunities for women to have their voices heard. Founder of the World Voice League, she educates and empowers through courses, a weekly accountability call, blogging, books, and the #SpeakEasy Podcast.

Come join the conversation by going to bit.ly/worldvoicecommunity