Today’s Mandala Message: What’s Your Why?
This week I’m working through Principle #27 from Jack Canfield’s “The Success Principles” entitled “Keep Your Eye on the Prize”. I set my intention today to ponder the idea of determining my “why?”. I often lose track of my why. Somethings I’m just so used to doing, they’re more habit than anything, that I don’t even think to question: “why am I doing this?”
A perfect (simple) example of this for me is Duolingo (a great language learning app). I’ve been signed up with them since 2020. Originally I wanted to learn Spanish, French, and then added Navajo. Two languages is challenging enough…heck, even one is…but three? It’s the little kid in the candy store syndrome. Eventually I had to commit to just one language if I was going to have any chance of succeeding: I chose French.
At first I started to excel and learned a lot. Currently, I have a 1,084 day streak going. I don’t want to break it. BUT…of late I’ve let myself get roped into the competitive aspect of the app, where I’m more interested in gaining points than knowledge. I always catch myself trying to finish in the top three of the weekly leader board. In a nutshell, I’m not really learning anything new because I’m more focused on the points which you get by playing their language games. Learning new things doesn’t give you a whole lot of points. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great app…as long as you don’t get addicted to the competitive aspect of it…which I have.
Which brings us to today…or at least the last two weeks. If I were to truly ask myself about the why of continuing with Duolingo, I would have to say that it’s because I’ve put so many days in a row into it (almost 3 yrs) I wouldn’t want to blow the streak…which seeing that in writing makes for a poor “why”. I realize now, that if my “why” is truly to learn French, then using this app the way I have been no longer serves me. It’s time for me to be honest about my why and to honor it.
A good mindfulness practice would be to ask: what’s my why for doing ________?
So how about you? Do you ever consider why you do what you do? Do you consider why you would continue with something that doesn’t serve you anymore? What makes for a good “why”?
“I don’t have any control over
— SZA
what actually happens
except for that I have
full control over
my will for myself,
my intention,
and why I’m there.
That’s all that matters.”
Blessings,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
All Things Mandalas
An Invitation
I invite you to color along with me this year as part of what I’m calling “The Year of Self-Exploration and Expansion” with all of my “Mandalas of the ___” (day, week, month, year). If you’re interested in more of a self-exploration approach to coloring, check out my “Coloring Mandalas as Meditation”. You can download this mandala at MandalaoftheWeek.com.
Mandala of the Day 