One of my favourite rap lyrics is, ‘everybody’s somebody’s everything nobody’s nothing.’ It may not sound prolific but when Chance the Rapper sings those words in his chorus, it hits my soul hard. That we all have something to offer and that at some point there is always someone who appreciates what we have to offer. Question is do we know that we have something to offer of importance in a family, organisation or in a board room meeting?
When Jesus was asked which is the greatest commandment he replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” He also added that the second greatest commandment is as important and states that, ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’ Knowing ones worth is important so as to appreciate what others have to offer.
Even when we make it to an interview or an important meeting or forum on merit sometimes we question our worth. It might be a musician going into a corporate meeting with executives who are highly educated or a student attending a forum full of experts who have years of experience. What we forget is that we are there to express a point of view that someone else might miss because they don’t think the way we do. We have accumulated experience since we became self-conscious and that is our super power.
Some may not appreciate what we offer because of ethnocentrism or a false sense of importance. These are weaknesses of other people and should not stop us from putting our points across. Internal weaknesses such as nervousness, lack of confidence or poor oration can also hinder us from achieving professional and social growth in different settings. These are issues we can gradually work on to help us overcome the prejudice that is thrown our way.
Intellectual humility, where you take time to listen and appreciate other people’s ideas even when you don’t agree with them or have a better grasp on a subject is an attribute that we should work on having. Maybe we should consider Socrates thinking when he said, “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.” Having an ability to not judge your culture and language as superior to another but willing to listen as you would want to be listened to. Remember loving your neighbour as yourself. Any truly wise person knows that their experience and knowledge is limited and should always be open to questioning and addition of new information like a librarian adding a new book into his collection.
The world is not designed in a way that you will always be heard. You can tick all the right boxes concerning packaging your message and disseminating information and still be ignored. That is why revolutions, independence struggles and demonstrations have taken place in different periods of human existence.
What is the force that drives those behind this push to have their voices heard? The women who struggled to get an education when educating a woman was seen as a waste of time, they knew their worth and value of their voices for present and future. What about the freedom fighters and civil rights activist who despite being treated as less human still saw their importance in a better world? If the assurance didn’t come from within, they would have surely lost the war even before it began.
This article is in no way encouraging you to go into a forest and start a militia. Rather to help us understand that love for oneself is important and is the spring that feeds love for God and for our neighbours and without it the world may never see your full potential.
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