I’ve learned to appreciate fuzzy things over the last six years.
This started when I read Simon Sinek’s book, Start With Why. Similar to your true will, your “why” is your reason for existing. But for most people it lives at an emotional, non-linguistic level of the mind. You might have trouble putting it into words, but everyone knows what it “feels” like to do it.
And then the work of Why Discovery—or what I’ve fashioned into Will Discovery—is to put words to it, to transform it from a mere feeling into an emotionally and magically charged concept that can serve as the North Star for one’s adventures.
This is the opposite of how most people live (which partly explains why I like it!).
Most of us start with a concept, usually an abstract ideal, and we try to move toward that or live in conformity with it. But with the Will Discovery approach, you start with what is poorly defined and fuzzy yet most real. You put some words to it—good enough to track it through the noise of life—but then you allow your mind to freely imagine the sorts of pursuits that would more consistently evoke that feeling.
Another way to get at this—which I discovered just this past week—is to imagine living your ideal life. Picture a typical week in your ideal life. It helps to write it down. Don’t think about the things you would own. Imagine what you would be doing at 10 AM on a Tuesday or 7 PM on a Saturday, etc.
As you do this, keep part of your attention on how you feel.
Put some simple words to it. Do you feel on top of things? Do you feel connected? Do you feel strong? Do you feel cooperative? Supportive?
That’s the feeling associated with your true will.
If you can evoke these feelings in yourself just through visualization or imagination, then they are not dependent upon you having or doing any particular thing. You can access them any time you want—and that’s the next step.
Do this exercise twice a day every day:
- Stop whatever you are doing and just notice yourself. Observe what is going on around you. Observe what is going on in your body. Observe what is going on in your mind. Do this for one minute.
- Now bring to mind words or images that evoke the feeling associated with your true will. Recognize that this feeling is emanating from the unknowable core of your being. It reflects who you truly are and who you need to be. Do this for one minute.
- Return back to what you were doing with the sense of your true purpose in life.