It seems, these days, that the thing that is keeping people from their full potential is the lack of being authentic. We are bombarded, on a daily basis, with ads saying that we have to look like this, that we need to wear these shoes to be cool or that if we don’t have a certain amount of money or certain characteristics, we are less than worthy of attention or inclusion. This can’t be farther from the truth! A person’s worth is not based on what they have or do not have. It is based on who they are on the inside and what they can potentially contribute to the world that we live in.
A case in point: There was a young man who had been born with Down’s Syndrome and he wanted to get a job. His only concern was that he could make a difference in what he did. He found a job as a sacker at the local grocery store and was excited to start. He asked his father, “What good can I do being a sacker?” His father’s advice was to look inside himself and give what he had. Eventually he decided that he would put a slip of paper in each customer’s bag that had simple, but heart-felt, words of encouragement on them. He thought of what he could say each night and had his mother or father print out the slips so they would be ready when he went to work. These little notes became so popular that people would seek out the lane that he was bagging on just so they could get this word of encouragement. Just a simple piece of paper was transformed into words of love because one young man wanted to make a difference.
There are many stories that I have heard where, because of the compassion, and passion, of one person, many lives were changed. These people were not superstars or the most beautiful but what they did have was a passion to change other’s lives for the better and stepped out and did what was necessary to make sure that it was done. In other words, they lived out their authentic self to show the world that there is a light that shines in each one of us. The server at the diner that always has a smile may not have it so easy at home but they don’t let it keep them from making your day better. The nurse that takes care of you in the clinic or hospital could be there because one of their loved ones was given immense kindness by another nurse and they want to pay it forward. The teacher at your child’s school has a great love for children and the joy that learning brings to them, even though they have to provide a lot of the classroom supplies on a meager salary.
If you and I are going to change this world for the better, we need to let our true selves shine out to the world around us. Only then will we be able to be the catalyst for change.
For now, let's #LiveAboveAVG!
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