These last few weeks I found myself in a familiar position – lying on my back, on the floor, raising my right leg and holding for five seconds. “One, two, three, four, five,” I count in my head. I then let my leg rest for a second and then repeat, “Up – one, two, three, four, five.”
You can call it my new reality – kicking off my morning workout routine with my physical therapy exercises intended to strengthen my right leg that has been unable to bear any weight for the first six weeks post-surgery.
While each workout begins with the same routine, this past week I found myself wondering, “How long am I going to be in this situation? How long is it going to be before life is normal? Is this really worth it?” And then I had a flashback to a speaker I heard years ago…
When you know your why, you can endure any how.
This was the phrase international speaker and best-selling author, John O’Leary, repeated during a presentation I attended early in my career. That day, John shared his powerful story of an accident he had at the young age of nine which resulted in having 100% of his body burned. While he was given a 1% chance of surviving, he inspired us with his story of overcoming the odds thanks to his clear ‘why’. What is his mantra for life?
When you know your why, you can endure any how.
Have you experienced this in your life? A meaningful purpose, a strong vision, or a clear ‘why’ are incredibly powerful motivators when life sets you back. Therefore, as I lay on my back this week, repeating my leg raises, I reminded myself of my ‘why’.
- I want to walk with Nikki on the beach this winter.
- I want to hike the Grand Canyon with Ben next summer.
- I want to walk Ava down the aisle on her wedding day one day.
And, I want to have these experiences and so much more without any pain or a limp!
Therefore, my ‘how’ – spending 10 minutes every morning doing physical therapy exercises to regain my leg strength is nothing considering the importance of my ‘why’. I hope you can relate.
The next time you find yourself on your back at 6am in the morning, wondering “Is this really worth it?”, I encourage you to connect with your ‘why’. Your ‘why’ provides motivation and is the fuel you need to overcome life’s challenges. You can do more, endure more, sustain more than you thought possible when you know your ‘why’.
When you know your why, you can endure any how.
INTENTIONAL LIVING CALL TO ACTION: Reflect on your ‘why’ when you are struggling with your ‘how’.