The problem with using negative emotions for inspiration is that they can linger and have harmful residual effects. They also tend to be temporary. When what you were inspired to do stops, the negative emotions creep back up and overwhelm you once again.

Your why has to do more than make you cry.

Crying does not result in action nor can it get you anywhere alone. Crying does not lead to action. There are a lot of “whys” that make people cry and tomorrow they’ll still be crying. The crying tends to cause people to seek sympathy from others. If left alone, they’ll get stuck in a perpetual state of crying, pity, and feeling sorry for themselves.

What matters is what your why inspires you to do. Are you going to keep crying or are you going to dust yourself off and get back up. Are you going to prove to yourself that you can and will do something about it or are you going to become a victim of your why and continue crying?

At the age of 17 I dropped out of high school, got married, and joined the Army all within a year. I had my first kid at the age of 16. Lots of people said I’d never amount to anything or go anywhere in life. They quickly became my why.

I became motivated to prove them wrong.

My why was ego based, is yours?

Are you doing what you do to show someone it can be done or are you doing it for yourself? Disguised as good will and responsibility, I did what I had to do to take care of my new family. I grew up fast but underneath it all my motivation for doing it was to escape all the negative emotions and people in my life.

What happened when I succeeded? What happened when I left that small town and got on with my life in the army while taking care of my responsibilities?

My inspiration faded.

I lost the power of my why. Will you lose yours when you succeed at what you’re doing? What happens when you get to the top of the mountain? What happens when you make that million dollars, lose all that weight, or see the world?

Will your why fail you?

This ideology is a hot topic. Miley Cyrus wrote a song titled it’s the climb, there’s a book and movie called the peaceful warrior, Wayne Dyer frequently talks about this, and it’s rooted in everything buddha, ghandi, and more. It’s not an uncommon concept.

So let’s make the statement into what it really is for most people.

Your Why Must Make You Cry ==> Your Why Will Make You Cry for MORE

Is your inspiration ego based?

When you get to the top of that mountain can you stay at the top without feeling the need to go further?

The phrase “Your Why Must Make You Cry” is no doubt stated that way because it rhymes. But what if your why made you smile? What if your why made you happy?

Positive emotions are far more enabling than all of the negative emotions combined.

From a physiological and scientific standpoint, crying and negative emotions cause stress and tension. This activates the “fight or flight” mechanism which releases an array of chemicals through the body, especially the brain.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but this innate response wasn’t designed so you could think like Aristotle while being chased by a tiger or while you’re in a fist fight at the bar. Even during verbal arguments that cause stress and tension, the stuff that comes out of your mouth sounds pretty stupid.

Ever get done fighting with someone and then think of all the things you should have said? Negative emotions scientifically reduce your intelligence. Fight or flight was designed for you to survive for another day. In the old days it was used to escape danger, in today’s world it’s activated while you’re flipping someone the bird in traffic even when no immediate danger to your existence is present.

Positive emotions on the other hand are physiologically compatible with expanded thought and intelligence. They inspire creativity and ingenuity.

So while negative emotions can inspire you to take action, rest assured, it’s the positive emotions that allowed you to figure out the best plan. If you’re taking action off negative emotions, your actions are probably not going to get you too far.

Your leaders are operating from a positive emotional bank. You can transform your negative energy and emotions into positive actions, but wouldn’t it be more sustainable in the long run if your why made you smile instead?

If you do something because you find true happiness in helping others instead of doing something because someone told you that you couldn’t, you may be one step closer to eternal happiness or heaven on earth.

True positive emotions are really contagious, positive actions transpired from negative emotions have the appearance of being fake. Ever meet someone full of energy and enthusiasm? They appear to be the most positive person on the outside.  But when you walk away you have ask yourself if this person is putting on a show because it sure felt like it.  It might be time to say:

Quit frontin’ man, you know yo ass ain’t really happy!