What’s Your Why … Now?
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” Friedrich Nietzsche
One of my children recently asked me a question that was filled with wisdom. We were talking about my work, and they ask: “Dad, why do you keep doing what you do?” Now I’m quite used to telling the story as to “why I do what I do” ( … love science, help people, etc.). We all have that story. We wrote about it and shared it as we ascended the professional ladder. But this question was different and caused me to pause.
In reflecting, I was reminded of the story of “The Stonecutters” that I have told in many leadership workshops, the origins of which are uncertain. It goes like this:
“The story is told of 3 stone cutters building a cathedral in the Middle Ages. A curious onlooker decides to find out more about their work.
He approaches the first and asks, “What are you doing?” Angrily, the stone cutter turns and replies, “Idiot! Use your eyes! They bring me a rock, I cut it into a block, they take it away, and they bring me another rock. I’ve been doing this since I was old enough to work, and I’m going to be doing it until the day I die.”
Quickly, the onlooker withdraws and goes to the next man, asking him the same question. This stone cutter smiles at the onlooker warmly and tells him, “I’m earning a living for my beloved family. With my wages I have built a home, there is food on our table, the children are growing strong.”
Moving on, the onlooker approaches a third man with the same question. Pausing, this stone cutter gives him a look of deep fulfillment and tells him, “I am building a great cathedral, a holy lighthouse where the people of my village who are lost in the dark can find their strength and remember their way. And it will stand for a thousand years!”
Wow! Same work, and an entirely different life. When I’m honest with myself, particularly given the present daily challenges of medical practice, on any day I might be all 3 of these stone cutters at different times. And too often I am simply about just getting through the day the best I can – what I’ve come to know as “surviving.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing given some other alternatives, but I know that I’m called to more in this work. And I know that the more I can anchor to the meaning of my work that extends beyond myself and my needs, the more fulfilling that work is for me, and the more highly impactful it will be for others …. My “stones will be cut” with better precision, with greater care.
Each day, whether consciously or unconsciously, we’re each answering our “why” question. For many, that answer may be due for a re-vision, particularly if you’re having too many days like that first stone cutter. May you anchor to a “why” that is inspiring for you, and daily allow that to define your work and your life. You, and all those impacted by you, will be glad you did – whether that is simply for today, or perhaps for a thousand years ….