In the last 24 hours, have you lived, laughed, loved, and mattered?
I was giving a friend a tour of Mineral Point Sunday afternoon and was posed this question.
My first thought was, that seems like a lot to try and accomplish each day. I mean, some days it’s a struggle just to get out of bed in the morning. Contemplating my place in this world is a bit much.
If something seems overwhelming at first, one way to tackle it is to break it down into smaller parts. Let’s take a look at the applicable definitions for each section of the above question:
- Live: to survive in someone’s mind; be remembered; have an exciting or fulfilling life.
- Laugh: to make the spontaneous sounds and movements of the face and body that are the instinctive expressions of lively amusement.
- Love: to feel a deep affection and attachment to someone.
- Matter: to be of importance; have significance; be influential.
Fairly heady stuff. I think I’d be hard pressed to find many humans who don’t want these things for themselves and those they care about.
But what’s at the basic core of all this? I think it’s pretty simple. I think each of us wants to feel like we make a difference and are valued.
We all have unique talents and skills that we bring to this great district to help make it so very special. Without any one of us, it would be different.
I’d like to think a sense of belonging is the case for everyone that is a part of #PointerNation. However, I’m not naive enough to believe this is true for all of us every day. So therein lies the challenge and the opportunity.
Just like a January 1 New Year, the start of the new school year is a time when many students and staff alike form new goals. Goals take an action plan, dedication, and passion to achieve.
So, how does this list become a reality for more individuals? Start with something we all can give more of–kindness. Last time I checked, kindness was free to share. Let’s truly dedicate ourselves to the goal of making this a great year for our kids, staff, and community. Live, laugh, love, and matter–not just on the easy days when it’s convenient to do so, but every day.