It all begins with an Emotional Why

"Emotional Why" is the driving force towards change. 


We make our decisions based on emotions and not on logic, this is a fact in life. Initially we use our emotions to respond to something, say based on impulse and we later on justify this action with logic. 


Let's have this situation for an example. A man who happens to be a chain smoker and has a daughter. He notices that often than not, when he puffs a cigarette, the daughter's asthma attacks would be triggered. Disturbed at the site of his daughter gasping for air, the man would decide on the spot to quit smoking. 


The response/action (quit smoking) was triggered by an emotion (disturbed and worried at the site of his daughter gasping for air).


An emotional why is usually the determinant with regards to staying with status quo or a sudden dynamic change.


A big emotional why is the reason why people would be willing to move mountains and do anything necessary to achieve something.


Another term for emotional why is hunger. The intense desire to achieve a goal. Without this desire, dreams are as good as words written on the sand. 


Most of the names in the Forbes 500 list are men who started out with very poor families, they would scratch soil just to put food on their plates and would be happy enough to have three full meals in a day. It is with this reason that they strive hard to be at the pinnacle where they are now. All because of a strong emotional why.


In contrast, most of the children of these prominent people (not all) in the list have been exposed to comfort. Thanks to daddy's efforts, they do no need to sweat their selves to have a living. No need for hard work, no more hunger and no desire to achieve a goal for they are already in a comfort bubble. Thus void of an emotional why. Often than not, when daddy goes ahead and leaves his wealth to his children, they will be able to maintain or perhaps keep it that much but they won't be able to expand or grow it because they don't have the emotional why, the hunger, the deep intense desire that daddy used to have.


A healthy advice for parents, allow your children to be hungry, to build a strong emotional why in themselves at a young age. Do not deprive them of difficulties. For just like a butterfly, it needs to flex its muscles and rigorously squeeze its way out of the cocoon for it to be able to fly.