why shift from extrinsic to intrinsic

​Dear Why Team member,

I hope this week’s message finds you encouraged and internally fired up no matter the external circumstances.
It is undeniable that sticks and carrots produce, but their power is limited and easily exhausted.

​I’m reminded of a story I heard many years ago told by the late, great

Dr. Wayne Dyer.  He said there once was a King who was looking to find a suitor for his beautiful princess daughter.  He gathered up all the young available men of his kingdom to the shore of his lake near his castle. He then made them all an offer: 

“Young men of my kingdom, this lake is filled with crocodiles and snakes.  To the first of you brave enough and able enough to swim across this lake, you will have your choice among three prizes, a barrel full of gold, 100 acres of prime land or the opportunity to court my daughter the princess.  Just then, there was a huge splash and this man was swimming for his life as fast as he could across the lake.  When he got out on the other side, everyone was stunned.  The King said, “my boy, that was incredible, what reward do you want?  Do you want the barrel full of gold?  To which the young man said “No”.  The king said, ahh, a wise man, you know the land can generate far more than a barrel of gold.  To which the young man responded, “no, I do not want the land”.  Ahh, the king said, even wiser, you know by courting my daughter you could become the future King.  To which the young man said “No, I do not want to to court your daughter”.  This confused the King. 

To gain clarity he asked the young man: “let me understand, you don’t want the barrel full of gold, you don’t want the 100 acres of land, and you don’t want to court my daughter - what do you want?”.  The man responded: “I want to know the name of the man who pushed me in the lake”.

Rarely is an external ‘Why’ ever more powerful than an internal ‘Why’.

Oh sure, who doesn’t desire the freedom money can bring, the financial security, the possessions and the travel, but it’s the internal ‘why’ that can drive us to live or die more fully appreciating all or the little we have.. 

It is said that soldiers fight less for their country and more for the man standing next to them in the heat of battle. 
When we are gifted with external motivators that fail to motivate, we are given the opportunity to turn within.

For example, I can do far more for my children than I can do for myself alone.  I often consider the example I am setting for them and others.  Leaders go First - less from an external push, and much more from an internal pull.  Motivation is an external force that can drive results, but rarely as effectively as inspiration, an internal pull, what some may refer to as a calling, to be inspired, to be in spirit.

We learn in physics that every force, has an equal and opposite force, so by definition, force is limited; and can lead to burnout and even resentment: such as “I want to know the name of the man who pushed me.”

However, an inspirational pull can be inexhaustible, incredibly powerful and often overcomes all obstacles as the internal ‘Will’ finds the external ‘Way’.

Throughout my career, I have often been surprised by the bonuses I have received for achieving certain sales objectives.  Why surprised?  I learned early on that doing my very best was reward in itself.  If I earned a bonus, great, I’ll take it, thank you, but for me, as I learned the value I can bring to my clients and in turn their clients, value beyond monetary means, I found a more significant ‘why’ that drove me to do much more and to be my best.  Daily, I consider my children, my colleagues and the people I have an opportunity to serve and inspire no matter the circumstances.

Andrew Jackson once said,

“A calm doesn’t suit me, I was built for a storm”. 

While sticks and carrots are often used in most every sales organization - time and experience has brought me to the place of knowing that a job well done is its own reward.

Consider the responsibilities you have been given and how and why you show up the way you do.  Make no mistake, that what may have motivated you yesterday, may not be enough to motivate you today.
Acknowledging the truth fosters the desire for more knowledge of the truth and inspiration grows when you come to know and live your Why. 

Consider more-so your ‘Why’.

Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl once said, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’”.
Extrinsic ‘What’s’ and ‘How’s’ have their purpose and are an important part of our lives - but, undoubtedly, it is our intrinsic ‘why’ that we live by that empowers us the most to overcome the slings and arrows of life.

This week, your Best Week Ever - leverage your ‘why’ to be more inspired than ever - and no doubt you’ll make it a great week!

Steve Luckenbach