What is Your Why?

This quote from Jon Kabat-Zinn teaches us to answer the question, “What is your why?” It is from his very popular book, Wherever You Go, There You Are. There is really no escape from yourself, so why bother trying?

You can go to the beach to enjoy the sun and the sea to try to forget your problems, but you are still there within yourself.

You can go to the bar and have a drink. Maybe even get drunk. But you are sill there within yourself.

“If you hope to bring meditation into your life in any kind of long-term, committed way, you will need a vision that is truly your own—one that is deep and tenacious and that lies close to the core of who you believe yourself to be, what you value in your life, and where you see yourself going. Only the strength of such a dynamic vision and the motivation from which it springs can possibly keep you on this path year in and year out, with a willingness to practice every day and to bring mindfulness to bear on whatever is happening, to open to whatever is perceived, and to let it point to where the holding is and where the letting go and the growing need to happen.”
~ Jon Kabat-Zinn from Wherever You Go, There You Are

Jon Kabat-Zinn

You might try Jon’s wonderful exercise exercise for what is your why:

“[Try] asking yourself why you meditate or why you want to meditate. Don’t believe your first answers. Just write down a list of whatever comes to mind. Continue asking yourself. Also, inquire about your values, about what you honor most in your life. Make a list of what is really important to you. Ask yourself: What is my vision, my map for where I am and where I am going? Does this vision reflect my true values and intentions? Am I remembering to embody those values? Do I practice my intentions? How am I now in my job, in my family, in my relationships, with myself? How do I want to be? How might I live my vision, my values? How do I relate to suffering, both my own and others?”

If you are one of the luck ones who don’t have a problem with motivation for meditation, consider yourself having great good merit. Begin to use that merit to shower loving kindness on all beings and be truly grateful for what you have.

What is your why?

Books by Jon-Kabat-Zinn

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn When Wherever You Go, There You Are was first published in 1994, no one could have predicted that the book would launch itself onto bestseller lists nationwide and sell over 750,000 copies to date. Ten years later, the book continues to change lives. In honor of the book’s 10th anniversary,… [Read More…]