I will lose the motivation to live when I lose a reason to die.

I will lose the motivation to live when I lose a reason to die.

I am going to ask you a question that I am guessing no one has asked you already today, this week or even this year maybe. The question is, "What would you give your life for?”

Take a moment to think before you answer. Most people might suggest somebody they would die for. Most parents would give their lives for their children. Maybe you would say “I would give my life for my friends.” That too is a noble statement, and you would be a good friend to have if that were truly the case. 

Yet I am of the belief that the level to which we fully get to live the life we have, is determined by our ability to define the cause for which we would give our lives. 

Let me make it clear from the outset that I am in no way suggesting that dying is desirable. The reason I pose the question is because I am trying to get you to dig down deep and answer the question “what really, I mean REALLY matters to me?” I believe in every human being we carry the potential to produce change. This potential is intertwined with our identity. When we start to uncover the change we are alive to create it causes us to go to greater lengths to see it become a reality. 

When we fail to catch a hold of a reason bigger than ourselves to live, life actually loses its meaning and worth. Worse than dying for something we believe in, is to live a life that stands for very little. 

But my life does have meaning!

Many people are happy with their lives. They have a job they enjoy or maybe tolerate in order to support themselves, family and loved ones. Many have aspirations to increase wealth and security and this gives their lives meaning. At a point many think beyond themselves and want to give time, energy and even wealth to good causes. This can give meaning but my view is that the ultimate meaning of a person's life is not what they seek to maintain but what they seek to leave behind. 

Get a bigger ‘because’.

How many of us tolerate lives putting off decisions that should have been made years ago for fear of how it would negatively impact us in the future? When we get a bigger vision for our lives we will have many reasons to give up. In moments of weakness and even pain we need a ‘because’ that will keep us going inspire of how we feel.

This is why I believe it is important we know what we would die for because then and only then can we truly know what we are living for! 

Coaching question: If you create a change in the world that required high risk on you part and you had the courage to do it what would it be?