Ted Talks are a magnificent thing used to gain random, yet useful, bits of knowledge. One talk in particular is highly praised in the LAS cohorts, that is “The Golden Circle” by Simon Sinek. This is something we use constantly to make sure we are concentrating on the real reason behind why we do what we are passionate about. The Golden Circle consists of three questions: Why? How? and What?
Why- This is the purpose or mission statement. It is the root of everything an individual, cooperation, small business, school, or anyone does. You can’t hope to inspire people if you don’t have a reason behind what you are doing. They need to see that you have a plan and you really do care. This is where the “Inspire others to…” comes in.
How- How, is the way that you go about achieving your goals and your mission. It’s the “meat” of everything. It’s pretty self explanatory, but just as important as the other rings.
What- This is the general idea of what you are achieving. The outcome that everyone sees and knows about. Yes, this is a very important part of The Golden Circle, but you cannot start here if you really want to make an impact. By starting here you miss the opportunity to show your passions.
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” – Simon Sinek
In our LDR 200 class we paired up with someone who we didn’t know very well to help each other find our “why” statements. We each found a partner who we weren’t extremely close with, so that they could help us see a side of ourselves that best friends might miss. I was paired with Kyle Jennings. Normally, Kyle and I aren’t very serious when we are together. We always joke and rarely take anything serious, but as soon as we sat down to discuss our why statements, we shifted to an air of seriousness. Kyle went first and I started to ask him about his passions. What made him want to get up every morning, why did he like the things he did, what does he want to accomplish in life? I dug deeper with each question trying to get him to realize more about himself, then we switched positions. It was a weird feeling having someone ask me such personal questions, ones that I’ve never even asked myself. I thought deeper about what I’m truly passionate about and what that means to me. After a few minutes of self reflection on the activity, I began to form my why statement. It’s crazy how I found a few simple words and they mean so much to me.
Inspire others to learn deeply, listen intently, and love unconditionally.
Lauren Comstock 