You Matter

Yes, you matter.

For the past few years, there has been a prominent movement toward making sure people (particularly kids) know that they matter. It is a wonderful, very important message that I feel like people can’t hear enough. You can read more about the You Matter Manifesto through Angela Maiers’ site. You can also find a wide range of inspiring ideas and posts on Angela’s Twitter stream. Check it out! You can even get a free copy of Angela Maiers’ new book: Genius Matters which has wonderful stories and helpful lessons to continue to spread this movement.

Here is a video by Angela Maiers about the words, You Matter:

I agree that it is our responsibility as parents, as educators, as leaders, and as people to help everyone around us understand that they each hold special gifts, talents, and abilities. I agree that too often our children are taught to conform and not to truly express who they are as individuals. It is our responsibility to honour them and help them understand their strengths and then build on these strengths.

The difficulty comes though, when those who are promoting such a movement, a message, forget about themselves in the process. Or, maybe not in the process, maybe they never really thought about themselves as really mattering at all. Maybe they didn’t often consider their own thoughts, their own needs, or their own wants. Maybe their own feelings took a backseat to themselves (and to others).  You’ve heard about the oxygen on a plane that may be going down, right?  Who is supposed to get oxygen first? Why?

So, yes, You Matter.

And, yes, I Matter too.

I have been on a long journey and am now only just beginning to see the importance of understanding that I matter. It has been a very difficult journey and extremely challenging to think of myself as needing and wanting things. But, I am beginning to realize just how important, essential really, this is.  Maybe it’s only me that has focussed on everyone else so much. I really doubt it though. It’s so easy to care for others first. To consider others. To leave ourselves to the end, if at all. Can you relate?

How do you show others they matter?

How do you show yourself that you matter?

Is there this imbalance in your life as well? Will you attempt to address this? How?