Significance

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

Hopefully, you had the opportunity this weekend to experience joy, a bit of reflection, and a lot of self-care! So many of us run at warp-speed, seldom slowing down for anything or anyone. Yet, it’s such a critical component to overall balance and wellbeing that I can’t advocate enough for the ‘me time’ that fills us and renders us able to pour into others.

In my current season of learning to spend time on the more essential facets of my journey, I pondered and wondered about significance. I discovered that I feel the most significant when I’m teaching, counseling, coaching, or nurturing others in some way. It’s a kind of delight for me to witness the light go on in someone’s eyes or to learn of successes after implementing newly identified tools and skills.

I also learned that when I’m exhausted, I cannot reason and think clearly due to the brain fog that comes from processing a significant amount of information. I’ve also had to accept that when I push myself beyond what I can physically handle, I don’t have the capacity to be present with people in the most meaningful ways. I wonder if you’ve recognized similar behaviors in yourself.

As people interested in humanity and modeling our best selves to be fully available to others in our most excellent capacity, I believe it’s germane to look at how we view significance. Are we searching for an anchor to help us feel worth or worthy? Of course, that’s a vital part of the equation. But when we’re rested and feeling on top of our game, do our following thoughts relating to significance have a broader impact on others within our scope influence.  

Let’s look at what others have to say on the topic:

Alfred Adler was a psychotherapist who began his career as a medical doctor. He studied people in and around Vienna, Austria, and is credited with being the founder of Individual Psychology and was a member of the Wednesday Society, a group of colleagues who are attributed with beginning the psychoanalytic movement. Contributing to the lives of others was a vital aspect of Adler’s work.

Here are a few others’ thoughts on significance:

“We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.” Carl Sagan

“When we talk about having a life of significance and meaning, it’s not about fame or money or resources. It’s about people and lives and hearts. That’s my biggest passion in life.” Tim Tebow

And some Scripture passages show how to model significance:

“Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.” Matthew 15:30 (NIV)

“Treat others just as you want to be treated.” Luke 6:31 (CEV)

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 (NKJV)

Striving for significance is multi-faceted. First, we seek significance in our careers and others’ esteem. That’s a normal human response to the need for belonging. Second, we become significant by offering our best selves to assist others to do the same. Let’s take time this week to be curious about how we fulfill both areas of significance in our lives!  

Be Well & Be Blessed!
Lucinda