Why your "why" doesn't matter
... and 2 books to read with your next brew
Hey there,
Grateful to have you here 😊
With Spring mere weeks away from arriving here in the Northern hemisphere, I find myself becoming unburned by the cold and inspired by the possibilities of longer, warmer days.
My body feels eager again.
My mind feels curious again.
My heart feels hopeful again.
And the most interesting part to me is that while I do have goals and things I’m focusing on, my view of the future 2, 3, 5, 10 years from now is hazy at best … and I’m glad for that.
Instead of planning my future with immaculate detail, I’m leaning into what I enjoy, what kindles my curiosity and following that.
You’ll often hear, especially in entrepreneurial circles, that you must first identify your “why” for doing something - that will be your driving force when things get tough.
While I don’t entirely disagree, I also think your “why” doesn’t matter at all. Everyone’s why is different - or maybe they are shockingly similar.
Like all things, your “why” may change, and so may how you see your “why” coming to life in the world.
While we would all love clear, defined answers, those are rarely available. We live in the proverbial gray area of existence at all times.
So your “why” doesn’t matter.
Frankly, your goal doesn’t matter either.
So what does matter?
You.
It all begins and ends with you.
Caring your yourself, in every way, must come first.
And part of that caring means trusting yourself to make the right decisions for the version of you that you are today (and reminding yourself that few decisions are permanent).
We can never know the future with certainty, and the past has given us its lessons to be learned (taking the time to process those is vital as well).
So fuck your “why”.
What has your curiosity stirred?
What has your mind occupied?
What do you get excited to spend time on, learn about, dive deeper into?
That is what matters, and with a new season nearly dawning, it’s time to give more space to those possibilities.
Those inklings come for a reason that we can’t entirely explain, and when we ignore them, we risk never experiencing all that we are capable of.
Even if it means reading merely 1 book, taking 1 class, or spending 1 hour a day on something new …
Even if it means 1 month of most of your free time, or 6 months of financial planning to be able to go, explore, experience what gnaws at you …
Do it.
Fuck your why.
Embrace your soft curiosity and let it guide you farther and deeper than any long-term plan could attempt to conjure.
💻 What I’ve been reading online
I’m glad I’m not the only one who isn’t obsessive about trying to “retain everything you read”
When was the last time you objectively thought about who you spend time with? This list from
‘s is now saved on my phone … just in case I need a reminder.Do you feel like you can barely understand what people are saying in movies and TV shows, relying on subtitles when you didn’t need them before? Here’s a fascinating video about the science of sound and why that’s happening.
Like
, I too seek effortless restSelf-love seems like a major buzzword these days, but this article sums it up in the most useful way possible.
If beauty industry marketing ever makes you feel straight-up confused,
writes all about it in . Her piece on Valentine’s Day marketing really hit home for me.
📚 Books I enjoyed recently
A book that will transform your concept of being “alone”: Alonement: How to be alone and absolutely own it by Francesca Specter
A book to remind yourself of your intimate connection to nature: The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day by Linda Åkeson McGurk
👀 What I’m reading now
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
A shameless reminder that if you become a paying supporter of You, Me, + Iced Tea before the end of February 2023, you’ll save 20% FOREVER
Gratefully,
VK
Photo by Mike Lewis HeadSmart Media on Unsplash
Great article, Victoria. I think the question of why is always so over-thought. A compass is great and all but sometimes it changes direction and meaning. Which ultimately is up to the choice of the person. Something you highlighted here wonderfully