You matter. I’m writing this inspired by a client of mine who believed she did not matter and it depressed her.
One of my favourite films ever is due to have it’s annual outing on our TV screens as the festive season draws closer; It’s a wonderful life. Here is the moment where the central character George Bailey says he wishes he had never been born….
He believed he did not matter. He believed that the world would have been better off without him, and so his guardian angel Clarence, shows him what the world would be like had he never been born. You know this I’m sure, it is a lovely film and offers up a message that we all matter.
We all have challenges in life, however, remember the key to happiness is how we handle these challenges. An APA psychological bulletin paper (https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-1316803.pdf ) that I refer to often suggests that happiness makes you successful rather than success makes you happy. There is usually a message that is given and a lesson to learn from the majority of life’s experiences. The joy is what you will do with the lesson you learn when it arrives and how this gives you a sense of meaning and a sense that you matter.
Your beliefs, your attitude and how you see things are what matter. Never quit and say it’s not possible. Have hope. Believe better days are ahead. Believe in yourself and trust your decisions. You have a choice on how you feel. You can help yourself to feel that you matter. That’s a central point today….
Before we can convince anyone else that we matter, we must first convince ourselves. You are called upon to acknowledge and put to use the person that you are, your strengths, resources and abilities. Empower yourself and realise the importance of contributing to the world by living. Mattering is a process, not an event. It has no expiration date; it’s a new way of life. Knowing that we matter is essential to our existence. Here are some thoughts to inspire you when you think your own life doesn’t matter.
1. You are Enough!
“You are amazing person with unique talents. Have faith in your abilities.” ― Lailah Akita.
Do you know what it takes to make a difference in this world?
You don’t have to be rich or famous. No special knowledge or skills are needed. Whether you are young or old or in-between, you matter.
2. You Have Influence.
“God didn’t create you to think, act, and walk like an inferior person; instead, He created you to constantly see yourself in all circumstances as being special as everyone else.” ― Edmond Mbiaka.
To acknowledge that you can change the world is overwhelming. Yet all of us have the ability to begin changing the world by contributing to it in some way. The potential you have to influence knows no bounds, though you only need to influence in some small way to recognise how much you matter.
3. You Are a Genius.
“Love people with all sincere attention, but don’t overdo it as if you are not special. Don’t lose yourself in the process of loving other people. Remember, you are special too!” ― Israelmore Ayivor.
Author Seth Godin defines genius as the act of solving a problem in a way no one has solved it before. You don’t have to win a Nobel Prize or earn a Master’s degree to be a genius. You just have to use your insight and initiative to find original solutions that matter.
Likewise though, remember not to compare yourself to others and instead recognise all that is so special about you and being you. For more on this, read this article Stop Comparing Yourself to Others.
4. You Have a Contribution to Make.
“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love”– Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Your mere presence can bring a smile to someone’s face. Your poetry can lift someone out of a slump. Your passion can lead you to create something magnificent.
The size of the contribution is not what matters most. What counts is how much of your heart you put into it. Have the intent to do good and you matter.
5. You Have a Gift to Give, That Others Need.
“Happiness never decreases by being shared.” – Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha).
Happiness and love are two of the greatest gifts you can give to the world.
Too often, we indulge our own gratifications and forget there are people in this world that we can make feel loved, or appreciated, or even noticed. These are gifts anyone can give. When you give them, you matter.
6. You Are the Change.
It is in the small encounters with others that we recognise that we matter, that our presence is important. A shared smile, an unexpected kindness, leaving each encounter with something positive.
It is in these small moments we find an opportunity to make the choice to matter. In doing so, we make the world a better place. Be present around others – pay them with your attention.
7. Your Actions Define Your Impact.
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before beginning to improve the world.” – Anne Frank.
Action is the world’s greatest currency. There is no better day than today to start to make a difference to the world. You don’t need to wait until you have the time; you don’t have to wait until you make more money; you don’t have to wait one second to let someone know they matter.
Start with these two words, and you will learn how much that little effort counts today.
8. You Matter.
“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” – Clarence, the Guardian angel (in the film It’s a Wonderful life).
To matter often means to be of consequence or importance to others.
It means you are significant, relevant, worthy of note and of crucial value. The world may not always affirm this. Your friends and family may not adequately communicate the importance of your presence in their lives.
But that doesn’t mean that what you do and who you are doesn’t have a profound impact on the world. It does. The world would be a very different place – a lesser place – without you.
“If you’re struggling today, remember that life is worth living and believe that the best is yet to come. Remember that you are loved, you matter, and never forget that there is always hope.” ― Germany Kent.
Remember, you are an asset unto yourself and your 1st priority should often be yourself; take care of yourself, find time for yourself when possible and do things that not only bring you peace and make you happy, but help you rediscover yourself in every journey you take. Always remember that wherever you are coming from and whatever you have to deal with on a regular basis, you matter.
If you firmly believe you do not matter, you are being a bit like George Bailey, you are running the risk of (albeit metaphorically) throwing it all away, so I’ll leave with with those immortal words from Clarence the guardian angel;
“You see George, you’ve really had a wonderful life. Don’t you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?”
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Have some of these themes here resonated with you? Then have a read of these pages:
1. Do you need help or support to stop comparing yourself or in another particular area of your life?
Coaching with Adam Eason Or Hypnotherapy with Adam Eason
2. Would you like a satisfying and meaningful career as a hypnotherapist helping others? Are you a hypnotherapist looking for stimulating and career enhancing continued professional development and advanced studies?
Adam Eason’s Anglo European training college.
3. Are you a hypnotherapist who is looking to fulfil your ambitions or advance your career?
Hypnotherapist Mentoring with Adam Eason.
Likewise, if you’d like to learn more about self-hypnosis, understand the evidence based principles of it from a scientific perspective and learn how to apply it to many areas of your life while having fun and in a safe environment and have the opportunity to test everything you learn, then come and join me for my one day seminar which does all that and more, have a read here: The Science of Self-Hypnosis Seminar. Alternatively, go grab a copy of my Science of self-hypnosis book, it’ll help you to recognise that you matter!
