You may know ‘What’ you believe… but do you know ‘Why’ you believe what you believe? Why is critical because it’s what ‘What’ stands on. Do you believe as you do because that’s how you were raised? Or is it the exact opposite… because of how you were raised? Maybe it’s come through your experiences? Or, do the people you associate with form the basis of your own belief system? What is your ‘Why’?
Have you ever been confronted by someone about why did you do/say what you did? Have you ever ‘scratched your head’ in wonder and/or disbelief about your expression and the depth of emotion associated with that expression? Perhaps the bottom line is… do you ever think about your whats and whys?
Obviously your ‘What’ is important because it defines who you are. What you believe is evident in your words and in your behavior. It gives information to those you associate with as well as yourself (presupposing you listen to you when you are speaking). But how you got to this expression and your personal beliefs, your Why, gives you important understandings about you and how you are becoming you.
And if you ask – so what? Part of the rationale is selfish – we all want to be understood and valued. And how we express this speaks volumes. Obviously we don’t want to be misunderstood nor do we want our message to be garbled. It is important that we know ourselves because how can we change, improve, grow without the initial foundation? Understanding self provides us with appreciating why we react to a particular stimuli in the way we do. Once we consider why we do or don’t do or say or don’t say, then we have our basis to refine ourselves, and grow into the best us we can become.
