Writer: Do You Really Know Your ‘Why’?

 

Often I have to pinch myself at some of the perks the writing life has afforded me.

Like last spring, writing my blog while enjoying a view of Manhattan from the 48th floor of a luxury hotel, I was struck by the privileges I enjoy at this point in my career, compared to where I started.

The next morning I interviewed the subject of my next nonfiction book, here where he was staying with the people under his charge. They comprised a big league baseball team, in town to face the Mets, and he is their manager. He also happens to be outspoken and passionate about kids, sports, and life.

I found myself in that position not because I ever set a goal to write bestselling novels or to write as-told-to-stories of famous people (Hank Aaron, Walter Payton, Nolan Ryan, Billy Graham, etc.). Rather, my sole intention was to follow a call to full-time Christian service.

When I sensed that call as a teenager, I was already a sportswriter and assumed I would have to shelve the writing and study to become a pastor or a missionary. How gratifying to discover that God had already begun equipping me with the tools He intended to use if I would follow the call.

Author and speaker Simon Sinek says: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy ‘why’ you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”

I was fortunate to understand my “why” early on.

My father had long counseled me to “be the best you can be at what you’ve been called to do, and you’ll be more of a success than the person who is the best in the world at it but is not working up to his potential.”

So my aim became to obey my calling by being the best writer I could be, and letting let the results take care of themselves. Many define success by royalty checks or bestseller lists. But I have no control over those.

My goal (my why) is not to succeed, but to obey.

What is your “why?” 

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