You matter.
I wish I had said that to my friend John when I saw him last. It was a chance encounter at a neighborhood gas station. We chatted about random, everyday stuff and then we drove away, sure to see each other soon. Soon never came.
A few weeks later John committed suicide.
You matter.
This past Friday my company held its annual meeting and we had a guest speaker, Matthew Emerzian, share about the life experiences that lead him to write a book, Every Monday Matters—52 Ways to Make a Difference. Matt talked about the significance of helping people understand that they matter and the impact that realization has had on his own life and the lives of many others. It’s a message my friend John needed to hear. It’s a message I needed to hear. It’s a message you need to hear.
You matter.
You are one of a kind! In this world of nearly 7 billion people there is no one exactly like you and that makes you a precious, rare jewel. You owe it to the world to share your uniqueness with those around you. We don’t want to miss out on your brilliance.
You matter.
Life isn’t about you. Until you understand that true joy and fulfillment comes from placing the needs of others ahead of your own, you will fail to grasp how much you matter. Serving yourself may lead to quick success but it will eventually leave you unfulfilled. Serving others leads to lifelong significance.
You matter.
You are not alone. There are times when everyone doubts their self-worth, but the good news is that if you seek them out, you’ll find many people who are willing to come along side you to provide mentoring and coaching.
You matter.
“Why?” is the wrong question. Whenever we face a challenge in life our first instinct is to ask, “Why?” “Why did this have to happen?” “Why me?” Obsessing on “why?” can paralyze and prevent you from realizing how much you matter. Instead of dwelling on the “why” of your circumstances, focus on the “what.” “What can I learn?” “What do I need to do to grow from this experience?”
You matter.
Share your story. An excellent way of serving others and discovering how much you matter is to share your story—the challenges you’ve faced, the struggles you’ve conquered, the mountain tops you’ve climbed as well as the valleys you’ve traversed. You’ll be amazed at how many people have experienced similar life situations and the strength and support that results from the bonds you create.
You matter.
Randy, powerful post. Thank you for the reminder. We all have had these little interactions and it’s important to realize that we just never know…I want to also tell you that YOU matter. Your blog makes a difference. All the best to you.
Thanks for your feedback Skip. YOU matter too!
Randy
Beautiful Randy! Your writing and insight continues to make a difference. Know that you matter to me.
Thank you Susan. Your thought leadership is inspiring and YOU make a difference to me and many others.
Have a great day.
Randy
Hi Randy,
Great post and I wish more individuals would hear your story! I reposted it so others will appreciate what you wrote as much as I did. In todays busy world to many people focus on the ‘why’ and not the beauty of the ‘what’. Thanks for sharing such a personal note.
Thank you David. I appreciate your note and I’m glad you found the message helpful. It’s a message we all need to hear, isn’t it?!
Randy
So impactful, Randy. Such turmoil happening in the world around us. It can appear that we live in a “humanless” space vs a “humankind” place. You and your empathy matters.
Thanks for your feedback Lisa. I appreciate you taking the time to add your thoughts.
Take care,
Randy
Reblogged this on Havad English.
Dear Randy, many thanks for this excellent post. The spirit of trust and collaboration in a company is something like healthy blood in one’s body!
Kind regards from Switzerland.
Olivier
Thank you for your input Olivier. I agree!
Best regards,
Randy
Randy, This blog couldn’t of come at a better time. How many people in this world need to know that the matter? Thank you for posting. =0)
Thank you Beth. As I said in the post, it’s a message we all need to hear.
Take care,
Randy
Randy, thanks for the great post, the talk, and the reminders. I appreciate Matt’s comment that we don’t do things in order to matter. Rather we do them because we matter. Your blog and your contribution matters. Thanks for being connected and impacting me. Mike…
Thanks for your feedback Mike. I (we) are blessed to do the kind of work we do. I appreciate your words because YOU have been a positive influence on me and many, many others.
Randy
Randy, thank you so much for sharing this story and writing this blog. A friend and follower of your blog saw it and forwarded it to me. I look forward to getting to know you better. You matter.
You are welcome Matt. Keep doing your good work!
Randy
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As usual, thought provoking and well written, Randy. One of my favorite blogs.
The first point that inspired me to write was this “Life isn’t about you. Until you understand that true joy and fulfillment comes from placing the needs of others ahead of your own, you will fail to grasp how much you matter.’
So people, in their lack of awareness or tightly-held selfishness, don’t realize that growth, happiness and joy come not from taking but using your talents, gifts and resources to lift up other people. Like you wrote, when you do this, you understand, see and get feedback on how much you really matter, making it easier to continue serving. If one is selfish by commission or omission, they never experience the gift of their useful significance.
Then you wrote about “why” being the wrong question. While “why” is a powerful thing to ponder, one of my favorite thoughts and questions, there are times there is no helpful or satisfactory response. Stealing other people’s quotes here, “What are you going to do now?” That focuses on action to change the reality. Then there is this one “Spend 10 percent of your time on the problem and 90 percent on the solution.”
Start with “why” but don’t get bogged down with it.
Thanks for your feedback Michael, I greatly appreciate it.
Asking “why?” is a very valuable question and I wouldn’t want to diminish the value in it. But like you say, we often get hung searching for that elusive answer which most times just isn’t available.
Take care,
Randy
The greatness of every human being is a matter of fact. God created every person in his image and likeness. Thanks for reminding. Very nutritius this post.
I agree! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Randy
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