START WITH “WHY”

In 2009, Simon Sinek’s bestseller, “Start with Your WHY” changed the basic principles of brand marketing. He suggests rather than lead with traditional benefits or features, begin your message by stating your passion. Consumers are more interested in why you are passionate about something rather what you do. A good example of this principle is how Apple markets their products. Apple begins with a theme that connects on a personal level: safety, security, health and fitness are a few examples. I share Sinek’s belief that consumers want to have relationships with the brands and companies they use. Starting with your why creates an opportunity to share your passion and form an organic connection.

My resolution for 2023 is to take a better personal inventory of events and pause for daily moments of reflection on these experiences. Part of my practice is rather than asking why an event happened, I look to find why did something happen THIS way. I then search deep in my emotions to embrace the lessons learned from the outcome of life experiences. I have become fascinated with the idea that there are endless tiny points that all lead up to BIG moments. My goal is to identify the one factor in a series of events that produced a particular outcome.

Morality is the key theme in Masonic Ritual. And as a symbol, the Square is impressed upon us to guide our actions by being honest and fair. This goes deeper than being truthful or kind in all of our dealings. By reflecting on our conscious, we consider the multitude of choices and decisions presented in daily life. How those moments are influenced by our attitudes, emotions, and feelings — which also change over the course of a day. And when you analyze the many parts that make up the sum, you can then isolate that one point where an action was influenced by that choice between “right” and wrong.

Reflecting on our actions as part of a daily routine is more than an exercise in self-awareness; it is also an opportunity to apply the Square as a Working Tool to measure our Ashlar. Not to seek perfection, but rather to shape our structure to be strong and sound.