Everyone is giving their life to something.
We all sense this…more acutely in some moments than in others. Yet, study after study indicates that many feel like they have little to no control over the day-to-day, nevermind where their life is headed.
In an effort to gain control, young people often reject the approach to life they believe has left their parents hollow and unfulfilled.
Those with more experience scramble, investing everything in the pursuit of what promises happiness…too often losing the capacity to dream in the process.
And when we find ourselves in a stare down with mortality, how often are lonely hours spent wondering, what was all of this for? Is this all there is?
Yes, we’re investing in something. And along the way, too many of us look back and wish we’d listened to better advice.
An Alternate Strategy
Those who know me well know that I have been legally blind since birth.
When I was headed into eighth grade my parents were torn between what many medical professionals were saying — that the responsible thing would be to send me to a school equipped for the visually impaired, versus something in them that said removing their son from the diverse experiences of a mid-1960’s classroom somehow wasn’t right.
They dealt with this dissonance by enrolling me in a private parochial school. But this was an enormous sacrifice for the whole family. With four kids to feed it became too much. So it was decided that at midterm of ninth grade I would return to public school.
But someone connected to that private school anonymously paid my tuition for the next year-and-a-half.
This isn’t about private versus public schools. And it isn’t about me or my parents.
The point of the story is that something different was driving the action of that anonymous benefactor.
I never learned the identity; the only thing we knew was that it was someone who believed in investing in people. It should be said that since this kind of act is rarely a one-off, I would wager a hefty amount that my family was not the only recipient of that person’s investment philosophy.
When it comes to where to place our resources we can choose to bet on a lot of different things.
in the process, some win big. Others do not. But this isnt about whether or where to place a financial bet. Nor is it to ignore the reality that financial investments are a responsible practice. And that they can change things for the better.
Instead this is a suggestion that when we feel something is missing…if we find ourselves asking is this all there is it may be a not so subtle suggestion that we might want to reevaluate what we’re investing our life in.
Our portfolio may need some diversification.
The Value of a Person
If you want to start a debate, stand in the middle of the marketplace and suggest that the most valuable thing in the world is a human being….that the investment that really pays off is the one that bets on the value of a person.
People are unpredictable. They will let you down. On top of that, it’s impossible to project a return.
Meanwhile technology promises to deliver new leverage and increased profitability…and reduce the unpredictables. And whispers multiply about what a human being brings to the table.
When and where does a person really make a difference?
With governments juggling partisan cries for resources from every corner for every purpose, what are the tenants of decision making?
The seemingly “practical” implications coupled with constant and compelling messages on social platforms only deepen questions of who is my neighbor.
Boisterous political and religious voices add dissonance, failing as advocates for the value of a person.
A Chorus For Humanity
But it is not all gloom and doom.
There are voices of hope and help…backed by a belief that people are worth the investment. That of a cup of water for the thirsty…an encouragement for the hopeless. A helping hand. A meaningful conversation.
This is the stuff of human connection.
And it derives from a belief in the value of a person.
Real human connections are not afraid to wrestle with what matters most. They are intent on building rather than tearing down. They resist distraction and dispense hope.
So this is a call to action.
A call for anyone who is able, to join the chorus. Not to bury our heads in our hands and let inhumanity define the moment; but to lift our voices…and let the word ring out that people are worth it…that human decency matters…that investing in people in whatever way we are able is where we will find purpose.
And that the measure of abundance is the degree to which we care for one another.
Brass Tacks
Three months ago from the TEDx stage in Washington, D.C. I shared my belief that it is possible to win in life without being a jerk. That distributing simple acts of kindness where we live and work can change things.
The response to the simple idea has reminded me that hundreds of thousands share this belief.
I have been reminded of the thousands of investments in people I’ve witnessed. I remembered again the generous heart that invested in the eighth-grade me. I imagined the thousands of others touched by that individual.
I thought of (and referenced from the TEDx stage) my friend Landon Saunders who, more than anyone I’ve known, harbored a deep belief in the value of every human being. And it wasn’t hyperbole. He invested in hundreds of thousands of individuals through Heartbeat…his life’s work.
And I imagined countless others who quietly go about dispensing hope every day in ways simple and profound.You know who you are, and your investments in people make a difference.
Today, if you or someone you know is investing in people, let the word ring out. Turn up the volume, not in an arrogant, antagonistic or adversarial way; but in a way that brings some balance…in a way that might encourage and embolden others to join the chorus.
It is easy to be overwhelmed. Or cynical. And end up discouraged, doing little. But if we will resist apathy and act, investments in people will compound.
We are all investing our life in something.
Imagine what our homes and communities might be like if we invested whatever we are able in the most valuable thing in the world — a person.
Turn off the cynicism. Join the chorus. And spread the word.
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If you’d like more information about Heartbeat, drop me a note at eric@ericfletcherconsulting.com — I’ll point you in the right direction.