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FINDING YOUR WHY
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” – Jim Carrey
A Big Enough Why
With a big enough why… any how is possible.
Repeat after me.
With a big enough WHY… any HOW is possible.
Got it? Good. Let’s dig in.
Zen and The Art of Hot Rod Building
Growing up south of Detroit, Michigan, it was hard not to be into cars growing up. Car clubs abound. Car shows every weekend. Entire families worked for Ford, Jeep, or GM. I caught the modification bug early, lining up parts for my first car before I had a license to drive.
25 years and some 50 cars later… the bug never left.
These days I find more pleasure in keeping the classics alive than hitting the race track or drag way. My current stable of vehicles ranges from 1931 to 2021… and all of them, at all times, require something to keep motoring down the road.
Building, restoring, maintaining (emphasis on the maintenance), and driving classic cars is an incredible amount of fun. Hitting the world-renowned Blue Ridge Parkway near my current home in a 90-year-old vehicle and spending a few hundred miles taking in the scenery is an experience like no other.
It’s also an incredible amount of frustration, time, money, energy, and the proverbial “blood, sweat, and tears”.
So why do I do it? There are certainly easier ways to get from point a to point b… no?
What is my “why” behind owning classic cars?
Is it the waves and smiles from passers-by? Is it being stopped at every fill-up and told what a “cool car” you have? Is it nearly getting side swiped at least 10 times every outing… as someone tries to take a photo and drive? Is it watching a little crowd form around your pride and joy at a weekend car show? Is it the potential profit to be made from selling a restored classic?
Remember… money or fame can’t be your why… in business or in hobbies! A potential profit and a few happy onlookers won’t sustain what it takes to keep these cars on the road.
There are many fulfilling intangibles in this hobby. Connection with other like-minded people. Building the patience both to find parts and to install them. Those are a few.
The satisfaction of building something with your own two hands. The never-ending process of learning. Expressing your creativity… there is as much art to hot rodding as there is mechanical know-how after all. Those would make the list too.
The gratification when you watch a young boy or girl’s face light up when they are introduced to their first classic and they become fascinated with an old car for the first time? Knowing you’re inspiring the next generation to carry the legacy forward in some small way? Preserving the history of these vehicles as a major piece of the American experience for future generations to enjoy in more than just a picture?
Do you see what I’m driving at here? Pun intended.
These things are what keep me going when the part doesn’t fit, or you break down on the side of the road.
These things are my big WHY. Your business is no different. It needs many WHY’s to keep you moving forward when things aren’t going your way.
Tomorrow we dive into the nuts and bolts <—- see what I did there?… of your why. I’m glad you’re here.
See you on the journey.
