At least once or twice a year I feel compelled to go back and rewatch the seminal TED talk given by Simon Sinek back in 2009 titled: “Start With Why?”.

The first time I watched it – and every time since – it profoundly changed my life and my way of thinking. A bold statement given that it’s just a YouTube video. But it really has shaped virtually every aspect of my life – simply because it provided me with the lens and a context to view the things that I do in my everyday life. It’s a guiding compass.

My own version of “Start With Why?” is “Begin at the beginning…”. I’ve been saying that for literally as long as I can remember.

It allows me to center myself, become present in the moment, and practice “mindfulness”. So whenever I get stuck on a problem, or get confused, become upset, lose my keys, or need clarity…I go back and I…begin at the beginning.

And it always starts with a simple question “WHY?”