Page 48 - Free the Idea Monkey

THE MONKEY’S WHY

In his pivotal work, Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor E. Frankl

talks about his experience of living through Nazi concentration camps.

As a trained psychologist, Frankl eventually was somehow able

to accept his horrifying experience as an opportunity to “add deeper

meaning to my life.”

Even under such incredibly The Care and
inhuman conditions, he saw himself Feeding of
driven by a higher purpose. When Your Monkey:
speaking about this ability, Frankl

references Nietzsche’s words, “He TIP: If you have lost — or fear
who has a why to live for can bear you are losing — your inner-
with almost any how.” Frankl was Monkeyness, here’s a sugges-
in touch with his why and it literally tion: do your best to think like
saved his life. a four-year-old. Observe and
be grateful for all the wonders
Simon Sinek, a friend, company around you. There is a reason
owner and consultant, helps people that kids can stare at a blade of
and companies find their “why.” He grass and giggle at the sound
argues that average companies know of a fly hitting a window. If
their what: “we sell computers.” Good you want your life to be rich
companies know their how: “we con- with curiosity, gratefulness and
figure computers to your specifica- sense of wonder, you need to
tions.” But great companies are all keep your inner Idea Monkey
about their why: “We will change the alive. One way to do that is to
world with beautiful technology.” see the world as kids do.

I’ve already told you that Idea
Monkey’s are tenacious idea promot-

ers. Now their secret: creating ideas

is their “why.”

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