Where do you find motivation and inspiration

I asked this to a very successful friend of mine. He is at the point in life where hes content and happy with everything hes got. He is retired. Hes got a wonderful family, wife, good kids, successful business that he sold for several million, and time freedom.

I asked him to think back to the early days of his business when things were rough, what made you keep trying and pushing forward when others would surely have quit?

And this is his answer. When your Why is big enough, thats the motivation and inspiration you need to make you keep going no matter what.

What do you mean? I asked.

You need to search within yourself to discover why you want success and why you want to do this. If you can come up with an answer of a big enough why, then you will never fail because you just wont quit. Youll be like a bulldog that keeps charging ahead at its opponent even if youre limping on one leg.

Wow.

Some of the things on your list could be that youre doing this for your kids, your spouse, so that your spouse doesnt have to work and can stay home with the kids, to take care of your parents, to prove that youre not a failure, time freedom, to help others less fortunate, or you could have a bigger goal and vision for your company.

I see what you mean.

If you have a company its crucial that you have a vision for the company and a mission statement. You need to make sure everyone in your company knows the vision and mission statement. That way you company can be so much more and stand for so much more than the tasks it does or services it provides.

Ill never forget what he said. Even the toughest person can have a moment of weakness or two, so this is very important. Always know your Whys.

You can write down all your Whys on a piece of paper or type it out. Put this list in front of you at all times. When you are having one of those down moments then go and reread your list. Realize that when you give up not only will you suffer personally for giving up your dreams but the people on your list of whys will also suffer. Isnt that enough to get you to pick yourself up and try again?