WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO

Why do we do what we do, this question has tormented the human brains since the beginning. Tony Robbins in 2006, at the famous TED conference in Monterey, California, one of the first six TED talks ever, and is now the No. 6 most viewed TED talk of all time, tried to demystify this mystery by his theory of how emotions actually drive our actions. By understanding this theory, you will be able to take back control over your life, and even learn how to create new patterns that lead to lasting fulfillment.

Robbins says during his tenure of research on people, ironically, he discovered that people who have best of all resources, best of education, money and all comforts end up exploiting those assets whereas, people who have been through the ultimate pain, who are psychologically, mentally, emotionally, sexually and spiritually abused they contribute heavily to the society. The dominant reason for such a critical observation is the absurd theory in which most of us believe i.e. ‘past equals future’, which is falsified by learning that the defining factor in taking the right decision is the emotions behind it. If you have the fitting emotions, then unavailability of resources hardly matters. The pioneering life coach, highlights the three decisions we are making every moment:

1. What am I going to focus on?

2. Is it the end or the beginning? Are you being punished or rewarded?

3. Are you going to give up or move forward?

He proves that ‘Different decisions lead to different lives’ by siting examples of decisions made by Rosa Parks in 1955 and Lance Armstrong (7-time Tour De France Champion) tracing back in old times.

Tony Robbins slips into discussion of six major human needs, narrating his own childhood story, comparing the three decisions his father and he took when stuck in same situation, which was the first time he acknowledged the most important, sixth human need. Robbins says “All six are needed, but what a person chooses to give the most attention, to lead with, is what pulls him in a certain direction”. Of the six, he says everyone finds a way to meet at least four: certainty, the sense of variety found in uncertainty, significance, and connection or love. These needs are fuel for the personality, but the remaining two—growth and contribution, are for the spirit and impart ultimate fulfillment. Watching his TED talk we realize that everyone has a different belief system which tilts them in different direction and leads to the end of the line.