If we all decided to have dinner together, all of us, at one massive table, what would you bring to the table?
I have been doing some reflecting, and a thought I keep coming back to is value. The question many of us dread ... what are you bringing to the table? What value are you adding? And more interestingly, what value are you taking?
Life is about relationships, we are always in a relationship with one thing or another. And in every relationship, you're either giving or taking ... and in some relationships you are doing both. But I don't think many of us intentionally think about these things. What value am I bringing to this relationship and what do I want in return?
And what I've learned from the little bit of time I've spent on this planet is that people are always looking for value. And if you know the value you bring, you are able to determine its worth ... your worth (and hopefully be able to add a bit of tax to it).
In every relationship you enter into, friends, work, romance, at some point the question of value will come up. Ideally you want to be able to answer that question before entering into the relationship, but the question eventually will come up! And instead of shying away from it, I believe it's a question you should constantly be asking yourself.
What am I bringing to this table?
Asking this question allows you to determine the value you bring, and what it's worth. In addition to that, it allows you to determine which tables appreciate your value and which ones don't. Do not sit at tables where your value is not being appreciated ... you will forget your worth, and that's the quickest way to forget who you are. Do not sit at tables where you are not adding any value ... you will simply just waste your time, and space!
And before you start a riot ... value can be anything. Don't think too deeply about it. Just take a simple look at your relationships and ask yourself what am I adding here? What value are you adding at work? Do you know what it's worth? Is your value appreciated? And with your friends? What's the situation there?
Ultimately we are sitting at the table of life, having one big dinner party ... and the question is what are you bringing to the table? Do not worry about what you are going to find at the table. There is plenty of stuff, trust me! The question is what are you bringing?
Disclaimer: Once you start this journey, you are going to lose some stuff! You are going to have to walk away from certain tables, and you are going to spend some time looking for tables to sit at, tables where you know that what you are bringing is welcome. And it's not a pleasant journey, but it is a necessary one. Trust me. (Are you even allowed to ask people to trust you with a disclaimer? 😂😂)
Within the list of the big things we want out of life, being appreciated and not wasting time are probably in the Top 5. And left to chance, we can easily be stuck in situations where we are not appreciated and we are wasting time. So my challenge to you this week is to nibble on this:
Knowing the value you bring will help you determine what it's worth and it will choose which tables to sit at.
What are you bringing to the table? Don't let FOMO hold you back from exploring this thought and making the necessary adjustments in your life. Imagine a decade where you know your value and you are sitting at tables where you are welcome! Imagine! I think it's worth the risk, what do you think?
Comments