Re:Focus: The Effect of Why

I can't watch this video clip without crying. It is the perfect embodiment of what it means to live your Why.

People and companies alike are more focused on What they do (e.g. product features) or what people will think of them. But those that wake up everyday driven by a purpose, cause or belief, their Why, have a different presence in the world. We are drawn to those with a strong sense of Why.

Here is an example of a humble man who works in a cell phone store. By all outwardly characteristics - he is shy and insecure and his teeth are bad - we are not drawn to him. Though he does not believe in himself that much, he does believe in the one thing he loves above all else - opera.

In daily life, Paul worries about what the world thinks of him. But not when he sings. When he sings, he stops caring about the world and gets completely lost in what he's doing. He has so much love for opera that nothing, not even low self-esteem, can affect him.

We are drawn to him. Everyone is drawn to him. We are drawn to his passion. And at the end of his performance, all the things we smirked at - his teeth, his low confidence - vanish. Paul becomes beautiful.

This is one of the most wonderful examples of a person embodying a Why I have ever seen. People, companies and organizations are all the same. Embody a purpose, cause and belief and people will be drawn to you...you might even give them goosebumps.