In I Thought It Was Just Me, I write, “We seem to measure the value of people’s contributions (and sometimes their entire lives) by their level of public recognition. In other words, worth is measured by fame and fortune. Our culture is quick to dismiss quiet, ordinary, hardworking men and women. In many instances, we square ordinary with boring, or even more dangerous, ordinary has become synonymous with meaningless.”
(taken from Brene Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection)
Can we talk about this statement for a second because I think it’s important. I’ve been having several conversations centered around this idea lately. I have big dreams to do something full and meaningful with my life; to do something that leaves a lasting impression.
I mentioned yesterday (if you hadn’t already figured it out) that I’m a bit of a wanderlust, as soon as I feel stuck or stagnant, I get bored. That feeling often leaves me wondering if there’s something more behind it, like if I’m fighting to be KNOWN, to find MY tribe, for my message and because I don’t WANT to be ORDINARY.
It’s an interesting conversation when you dive into it.
Do I need fame?
No, but I do want to be remembered for something, like inspiring others to dream big and live their happiest lives.
Do I need fortune?
Definitely not, though I’d love to pay off my bills and feel a bit more comfort in that department. ha 😉
But does all of THAT make up my worth? Is my worth made up by my level of fame and fortune? Definitely not. Could people already say that I’ve left the impression I hope to leave (to inspire)? Yes, of course. But I do think she’s right. I think we often look at our lives and level of recognition as a measure of our contributions and let’s get real, that’s just not fair.
[ctt title=”How do you measure your worth?” tweet=”How do you measure your worth? Inspired by @BreneBrown via @iamkatiearnold http://ctt.ec/MUfZQ+” coverup=”MUfZQ”]
How do you measure worth? How do you think we (people as a whole) measure worth?
this is such a deep deep topic..worth for me really is about the influence and impact i make on people’s life. wealth is great and all that at the end of the day, it ultimately comes down to positive relationships and happiness.
dixya @food, pleasure, and health recently posted…Virtual Coffee Date (Nepal Edition – I)
I think the key is to be happy with what you have accomplished. I use to be (and still struggle) the person that always compared myself to others and you know what? I always found myself short on that end. Be the best that you can be and give it all you have and what you can!
I measure my worth by my accomplishments and the people close to me!
I measure my worth by what I have accomplished and how I’ve gotten through tough times. I have also always wanted to help people, even if it’s in some small way. This is something I want to think about more though.
I measure my worth by all that I do and have accomplished. I am tired of comparing and looking at others. I know I bring value to my friends and family. That is all that matters to me.
This is something I often think about too. I think touching people on a daily basis whether its a simple act of kindness, a smile, or holding the door is contributing in an important (although small) way. I think our culture loves big loud important people more than everyone else and the busier and more popular you look, the better you are as a person.
I hope to leave a lasting impact on those close to me and help as many people as I can along the way.
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I think measuring our worth sometimes go hand in hand with the constant comparison in the world of social media. Our society has an unstated measuring stick of who is important and who is not but the reality is many ordinary everyday people make significant differences in the lives of others. I’ve struggled with the fact we could not have children and that somehow that made me less than but then I realized as a counselor I have had the privilege to impact more lives than I count. Measuring our worth is about perspective and I think we continuously work on what perspective that is.
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Love me some Brene Brown!
Oo, now you have me thinking at 5 am and that is dangerous. I don’t want an ordinary life, but I don’t think that is even possible if you can believe in your own uniqueness and right to contribute to society. I have accepted my minuteness in the grand scheme of things, but I hope that the way that I live my life might have a positive impact on someone else and that they may then have a positive impact on another because of the positive impact from me. That I would say is how I measure my worth.
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