Hop on! Let’s go!

Yep, we selected a path and blindly ventured down it. We learned what success was and we celebrated our first job. Do you remember getting your first paycheck? That was a double hit of dopamine, wasn’t it? 

It… felt… goooooooddddd.

And then, what happened? 

The next job was better than the last. The pay was better, but it wasn’t as meaningful. We were earning. Were we living?

When was the last time you felt like you were really, truly living? 

Let me put that in front of you again with the emphasis on a different word: 

When was the last time you felt like you were really, truly living? 

“It’s a living” isn’t the same as claiming your aliveness. 

There are two great ways to feel even more alive each day. The first is to be grateful for everything in your life. The entire experience is a beautiful, if sometimes stinky, package. The kitty comes with a litter box. The great meal comes with dishes to do or a bill to pay. You can be grateful for the entirety of the experience. 

A quick exercise to feel more alive: Start by allowing your focus to float to the crown of your head. Float down over and through your body and find things to be grateful for all the way down to your toes! Then, really, only then, look outside of yourself.

What do you feel when you do that?

Self-conscious? Shame? Pride? Calm? Pay attention because you can’t give what you don’t have. And to make an impact in the world, you have to be solid in yourself. 

In my book The Significance Factor, I noted that success is something that you assess about the things you have. Other people can see it. You get a little ego charge out of it (and there’s nothing wrong with that). 

ANNNNNDDDDDD… Significance is different from success in that it’s not about what you have; it’s about how you have positively touched the lives of others. It’s not about how many because significance isn’t a competition. It’s about being deliberate in lifting others: deliberately, actively, positively.

Beyond earning, and beyond getting through your day, there is contributing. Giving of your SELF to others. You can do that in subtle ways. You can do that in very public ways, as well. Either is okay. You don’t need permission to be kind to others. The reality is that you’re the only one who needs to know that you’ve done something for someone else. You gave a kind word to someone. You found your way to a soup kitchen or food pantry. Or you sent money to a cause you believe in. You didn’t do that for applause. You might feel great benefits from giving to others – there’s a ton of research out there about that. And really, making a difference – one person at a time – changes who you are in the world.

Your contribution, in your way, matters. There’s only one YOU. That’s not trite. That’s reality. No one can contribute to the world the gifts that you have. And maybe, just maybe, your contributions to others come in the work you do, in the way you raise your kids, or in the music you write when no one is around. 

The bottom line, here, is that you have choices in how you share your uniqueness. And the key is to share. Someone outside of you needs your unique gift – a smile, a message, a magnum opus. Contributing meaningfully means letting yourself connect with another human.

I mean it when I say, “Keep Making Your Magic.” The world needs your unique blend. 

So, do that. And I’ll see you here next week!

= Wayne =