The Power of WHY

I worked for my dad’s steel erection company for years, from the time I was a teenager on into my 30’s.  Being the boss’s son had its privileges, but sometimes it sure didn’t feel like it.

It was not unusual for some of the guys to hurry on a job, leaving lots of little things undone, so they could head on to the next job.  Unfortunately for me, my dad sent me in after them to wrap up loose ends.

This was often very challenging. I may have to burn some welds loose, cut new holes in the roof, or move a roof vent. Sometimes I had to set up a 36′ foot ladder and climb all the way to the top.

Or I may have to throw a huge oxygen tank over my shoulder and hike up several flights of stairs. Only to return and get the acetylene tank.  And then return and get the hoses. You get the idea. Sometimes I spent more time getting ready to work than actually doing what needed to be done.

But don’t miss the bigger picture. At one time someone was on the roof with all the equipment at hand. But they chose to move on before they were completely done. It took at least three times as much effort to come behind them and finish the job.

It seemed to be never ending at times. But that’s the job my dad gave me for a period of time.

One day I had just about had it.  I needed a break. So at the end of the day I went by my dad’s office.  I walked in and complained, “Why am I stuck with all the junk work?’

And he replied, “That’s how you get good.”

Enough said. Now I understood. After all, who doesn’t want to get better, or in my dad’s words, “get good?”

That day my complaints ended. Yes the junk work continued, but now I enjoyed it.

Sometimes you have to look beyond the mundane tasks of life to the real reasons you do what you do.  And that makes it all worthwhile.  The power of WHY.