Anything Soul-Satisfying and Transformative is Worth Doing

Before doing anything or taking up any endeavor I always ask myself WHY this.

I was so fed up with questioning why, why, why all the time that in a Personality Development class in college, I did something that shocked everyone, including me.

So, I was in my penultimate semester in college. And our P.D. mentor was teaching us that before taking up any enterprise or a job we should ask Why? or What is in it for me?

And because I was so fed up with my mind due to its never-ending WHYs that when it was my turn to give a speech on any topic, I chose to speak on Why!

I told all the students in the PD class, in front of the mentor, to not listen to the mentor blindly. I told them not to ask WHY all the time.

Sometimes our intuition or sixth sense or gut feeling knows, what is good for us, better. Do not leave the decision-making process to the rational mind all the time.

The mentor instead of getting offended took my stance in a positive light and praised me for the courage to speak my mind.

This is what I wrote after that class

Our brain works very mysteriously (at least mine does!). Fast forward fifteen years and now in my mid-30s, I still ask myself WHY, before I start most of the things. And in other cases, I just go with the flow.

I think it is all about learning the art of balancing. And sometimes, choosing the middle path.

Before starting writing here on Medium I asked myself, ‘Why start a blog?’

Why not limit my musings to my diary?

Then came the answer from the inside which was satisfying enough that I started opening up and sharing my thoughts with the world.

Although I love writing (to some extent), I still ask myself from time to time:

If I am happy with reading soul-nourishing books and listening to music then why write in the first place?

In other words,

If I am content consuming content then why to create content?

I know content sounds very crude but in the common parlance it encompasses every form of consumption.

Now I have made peace with myself in the following way:

Anything that gives soul satisfaction or has the power to transform myself (or my soul) is worth doing.

Like for me, listening to music, traveling, reading 📚, writing ✍️ , meditating, teaching, etc.

And,

Sometimes, some activities give you such unadulterated joy that you feel like doing them for the sake of it. For eg. writing for the sake of writing, teaching for the sake of teaching. No reasons needed.

And generally I have found that the things I do purely for its own sake give me soul satisfaction.

Anything that gives soul satisfaction or has the power to transform yourself (or your soul) is worth doing.

What is your take on this? Do you do things for the sake of it or do you always look for a reason first?