There is a lie that is told and believed by many who simply don't understand.
One of its most common forms is in the platitude meant to give that uniquely bitter comfort to the disappointed. A worker who, in his own estimation, has done an outstanding job for years now finds himself on the outs with his employer. As he leaves the office for the last time he thinks, "They'll be sorry when I'm gone."
That night at the bar, an older, more experienced friend hears the phrase repeated, "They'll be sorry when I'm gone." And in a perverse attempt to wake the young man from his fantasy of the company's implosion upon realizing that their star performer has left the building, he says, "You want to know how much you'll be missed? Fill a bucket with water, then stick your fist in. When you pull it out, measure the hole it leaves. That's how much you'll be missed."
The idea is that no one is missed. Because no one is important. And nothing they do is meaningful.
While it is true that all of us can be replaced functionally, it is equally true that all of us leave indellible marks in the lives and hearts of those we meet, work with and live with.
Surely our employers can find other accountants, agents, managers. Our spouses can even find new husbands or wives; our children can be adopted by other parents. Functionally we are interchangeable with many others.
What we do, how we treat people, and the marks we leave on the souls of those around us cannot be duplicated. Kindness to a child or an old person. Generosity to a stranger. Forgiveness to a spouse. Thoughtfulness to a friend. A listening ear. A gentle smile. A cheerful greeting. A warm embrace. A soft kiss. A soothing touch. A word of honest encouragement. These are the things that leave a mark on the soul of another. And on our soul we receive a reciprocal mark. A wear mark, to be certain; but a wear mark that upon contemplation evokes the deepest sensation of warmest joy.
So when we are tempted to believe that we don't matter, or that what we do is not important, let us drive that deceitful thought out of our minds. We do matter. What we do is important. The ripple of our presence expands eternally and if we are deliberate it can expand for eternal good.
One of its most common forms is in the platitude meant to give that uniquely bitter comfort to the disappointed. A worker who, in his own estimation, has done an outstanding job for years now finds himself on the outs with his employer. As he leaves the office for the last time he thinks, "They'll be sorry when I'm gone."
That night at the bar, an older, more experienced friend hears the phrase repeated, "They'll be sorry when I'm gone." And in a perverse attempt to wake the young man from his fantasy of the company's implosion upon realizing that their star performer has left the building, he says, "You want to know how much you'll be missed? Fill a bucket with water, then stick your fist in. When you pull it out, measure the hole it leaves. That's how much you'll be missed."
The idea is that no one is missed. Because no one is important. And nothing they do is meaningful.
While it is true that all of us can be replaced functionally, it is equally true that all of us leave indellible marks in the lives and hearts of those we meet, work with and live with.
Surely our employers can find other accountants, agents, managers. Our spouses can even find new husbands or wives; our children can be adopted by other parents. Functionally we are interchangeable with many others.
What we do, how we treat people, and the marks we leave on the souls of those around us cannot be duplicated. Kindness to a child or an old person. Generosity to a stranger. Forgiveness to a spouse. Thoughtfulness to a friend. A listening ear. A gentle smile. A cheerful greeting. A warm embrace. A soft kiss. A soothing touch. A word of honest encouragement. These are the things that leave a mark on the soul of another. And on our soul we receive a reciprocal mark. A wear mark, to be certain; but a wear mark that upon contemplation evokes the deepest sensation of warmest joy.
So when we are tempted to believe that we don't matter, or that what we do is not important, let us drive that deceitful thought out of our minds. We do matter. What we do is important. The ripple of our presence expands eternally and if we are deliberate it can expand for eternal good.
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