You want to be part of a greater cause – something that is bigger than yourself. You don’t necessarily want to be the face of the cause, but you want to contribute to it in a meaningful way. You love to support others, and you relish successes that contribute to the greater good of the team. You see group victories as personal victories. You are often behind-the-scenes, looking for ways to make the world better. You make a reliable and committed teammate, and you often act as the glue that holds everyone else together. You use your time, money, energy, resources, and connections to add value to other people and organizations.

The challenge with this WHY is the tendency to overcommit. Because you want to contribute and make a difference, you end up saying “yes” to request after request. Friends may tell you that you should learn to “just say no.” What they don’t understand is that saying no goes against everything you believe.

To you, contributing equals success. Therefore, the idea of saying “No” falls on deaf ears, or worse yet, it makes you feel guilty. You may often find yourself giving or contributing in so many areas that you feel overwhelmed and are unable to get to the things you want to accomplish for yourself.

The key to overcoming this challenge is for you to identify where you will be able to make the greatest possible contributions, and then commit to focusing your efforts on those areas. In other words, every time you face the opportunity to contribute, ask yourself the question: “If I agree to this, will it enable me to make the maximum contribution that I possibly can?” You’ll find that when you identify situations that are going to take away from your ability to give your best somewhere else, it becomes easier to prioritize what is truly important to you. By learning to distinguish between the many opportunities that constantly present themselves, you will build the muscle that keeps you focused on living your WHY to the fullest without overcommitting to extra obligations. You will shy away from areas in which you can only play “small”, and gravitate toward those in which you will be able to play all out. Your life will expand and become even more rich and fulfilling.

If you have the WHY of Contribute, you do really well when you are valued for being a great friend and companion. You are typically very supportive and easy to be with; you use your time, money, energy and connections to help others do better. This means that you enjoy spending time with friends and your significant other, often doing almost anything, as long as it makes them feel happy.You get along well with all the other WHYs, as you are good at making other people feel comfortable and special. One of the best combinations you can have for a significant other is the WHY of Trust. They desire your trust, and because you want to support their needs you will prioritize being trustworthy – it’s a great fit!

You are the glue that holds the team together. You do anything that needs to get done, and you are always looking for ways to help move the team forward. Teams love to have you on their side because they know that you are not about you – you are about the team and will do your best to make everyone happy.You are someone that does whatever is needed, whether that means picking up a broom and sweeping the floor or sitting down and having a deep, emotional conversation with a coworker. Results are important to you, but even more important is being able to be a part of the cause. You always want to keep moving the needle forward, and you believe that if you can help others do better, the team will also do better; you use the ripple effect to multiply your impact, which is your way of adding value to any situation you are in. People love your help.

As a parent, you form strong relationships with your kids, especially when they are young and love being with you. You make them feel good, support them when they need it, and are comforting for them when they are hurt. You are the compassionate parent that all your children’s friends like as well; they know you will find ways to make things fun and enjoyable. Challenges may come when your child gets older, as they will have their own opinion and rebellious behaviors. Being the “nice” parent can sometimes result in the rebellious teenager walking all over you, even as you try to support them and be there for them.

Contribute people are wonderful to have on your team; in fact, you have to have them on the team to get anything done. You would do well as a Doctor, Lawyer, Financial Planner, Teacher, Support Team, Camp Leader, Counselor, Psychologist, Coach, and Trainer. Often times you feel you should be in the background helping others succeed, but when you are put in a leadership position you will do extremely well. The CEO of a company that is making a difference in the world would be a great spot for you!

You are the one that volunteers to do the things that will move the needle forward. You want to do your part, you relish the greater good, and you do whatever it takes to make things work. You can be counted on to raise your hand and say you will help, even if you already have too much on your plate.

Saying “No” isn’t in your vocabulary, so you will always say “YES”, even if it is to your detriment. Sometimes you even need someone to step in and say no for you!

Your career choices are endless, as you can fit anywhere. However, you will want to make sure that whatever you choose will allow you to make a difference and have an impact. You enjoy getting a well deserved “Thank you”, so picking something where you will have interactions with people that you are helping is crucial.