29. what / why / how

A few weeks ago I listened to a Ted Radio Hour interview with politician Stacey Abrams. Abrams is Black woman who has created for herself a flourishing political career in Georgia against all odds. One of her most pivotal moments was when she graduated valedictorian of her high school and was invited to a reception at the governor’s mansion in Atlanta. When they arrived, Abrams and her family were rudely rebuffed by the guard at the gate who claimed they didn’t belong there. While Abrams eventually made it inside the mansion, her experience at the gate ruined what should’ve been a monumental occasion. She vowed to become the person who opened the gates for others. In the twenty odd years since that humiliating experience, Abrams made U.S. history by being the first Black woman to become a major party’s nominee for governor. When she lost the race in 2018, she wondered how to keep moving and transcend the bitterness and lethargy. Ultimately, she went back to the three questions that keep propelling her through life: “What do I want? Why do I want it? And how do I get it?” 

By tackling the what, why, and how in one fell swoop, these questions are so simple but so profound. For the past several weeks, they’ve been tacked up on the bulletin board above my desk, and suddenly the impossible seems within reach. Of course, this is not a magical formula that will cause a perfect life to spontaneously appear, but it’s a preventative measure against getting lost in the weeds. If we take the time to truly work through these questions, we gain a clarity and perspective on life we might otherwise lack, and we can continue to move forward, one purposeful step at a time.

—

Nov. 16