Daily Self Growth Journal

It's all About the "Why"

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.” Martin Luther King Jr.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Cogitate: “think deeply about something; meditate or reflect” New Oxford American Dictionary

I’m sure you’ve heard the standard investigative questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Of those questions, the “why” can shake the foundations of our world, of our existence, and of our faith. Why did the Holocaust happen? Why were we born better off than others? Why, why, why? Of the investigative questions, the “why” can never fully be answered. We will never fully know why someone chooses to take the life of another, or why someone chooses to give their life to save another. But understanding why people do what they do has the power to change the way we feel about anything. Without the reason why, the killing of Osama bin Laden would have been simply murder. Without knowing why Christ died on the cross, it would have been just another cruel crucifixion. But understanding those whys puts a reason to the events. Seal team six becomes a heroic icon instead of a band of murderers and Christ is known as our Savior instead of merely a great teacher. In our relationships with others, we should try our best to communicate why we act, behave, and do the things we do. Leaving home for nine hours a day is appreciated when our spouse knows we are earning a living at work, not just abandoning them because we don’t care for their company. That’s an obvious and small example I know, but what if we made our intentions as clear as that in whatever we did? Not only would it earn us trust among our peers, but it would also edify our actions. Because we’re not capable of fully understanding ourselves, let alone others, and our communications skills will never be perfect. We may never be able to fully and affectively communicate our motives. But just the act of trying shows genuine and honorable intent. Let’s try to improve the communication of our “whys,” and see if our “whys” don’t improve along with it.

Daily Journaling Questions:

1. How did I help someone in kindnes today?

2. What did I learn today?

3. What am I thankful for?

4. Who did I love today?

5. What about today do I want to remember forever?

6. What am I dreaming for?

7. What are my goals for tomorrow?

Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot to me.

Jake