Why ask \"Why?\"

When I started out on my health journey, I began consulting with Functional Medicine providers, colleagues at conferences, networking with the country’s greatest minds in the business… and I asked all of them the same question: If I want to heal my body from all of this inflammation, lose the hot flashes, and maintain a healthy weight, where do I start?

Speaker after speaker from the podium of a global functional medicine platform… it was almost as if they had rehearsed it.

They all had the same beginning advice: IDENTIFY YOUR “WHY”.

My “why”? What do you mean, my “why”? I just told you my “why”. My “why” is that I want to get rid of the swollen fingers, the rash on my face, the annoying stomach symptoms, the hot flashes, the muffin top… that’s not a good enough “why”?

I had never had a medical practitioner say such as that to me.

I didn’t really want that answer. I wanted something practical… like… Take this supplement; it’s the magic bullet. Eat this diet; it’s the quick fix. Do this workout; it will do the trick!

But that’s not what I got. Not at all.

The resounding answer from every expert: go deeper.

What do you really want?

I thought about that long and hard… you know what I came up with? It wasn’t anything philosophical or groundbreaking….

My original “why”: I want to lose weight.

Them: Why do you want to lose weight?

Me: I want to get back into my jeans. (thinking that they would find some humor in that… you know to break up the pure awkwardness of this line of questioning).

Them (very seriously): Okay… good… now, why do you want to get back into your jeans?

Me: So that I feel confident walking into a room.

Them: Why do you want to feel confident walking into a room?

Me: So that I don’t have to be self-conscious about how I look.

Them: Why do you not want to be self-conscious about how you look?

Me: So that I can show up as my true, authentic self and interact with people in a genuine way.

Them: Why do you want to show up as your true, authentic self and interact with people in a genuine way?

Me: So that I can release insecurities about myself.

Them: Why do you want to release insecurities about yourself?

Me: So that I can feel secure.

Them (and me): Aha… There it is!

So, I started on my healing journey because:

I wanted to lose weight and get back into my jeans…

so that I could feel secure.

When you see it in that light, it gives a whole new perspective to "why" you don't need to eat that cookie and "why" you should get up and go walk. When times get hard... and they will... you can refer to your "why" for a refocus, a boost of energy and renewed commitment.

And when it becomes more substantial than surface issues, it just means more.