Whether it is the primary school playground, the high school party, or the business conference, it is nice to be invited. The invitation is always more than just an invitation, it is the acknowledgement that you exist, that you matter, and carries an aspect of ‘you belong here’.
Powerful emotions. Powerful innate human needs. To be seen. To matter. To belong.
Two thoughts on this. First, when you are creating change through the introduction of something different (process, people, behaviour, etc.) or selling your services, how are you inviting people in, showing them that they matter, they are seen, they belong?
Secondly, have you picked/invited yourself? We often seek out external validation wanting to be invited by the other, but we forget to pick ourselves. Or even more close to the bone, we don’t invite ourselves because we don’t like ourselves, we don’t believe we matter. We’ve given the power of deciding whether we matter to someone else, some group, some idea.
This is not arrogance, selfish, or prideful. I grew up in a community where the messages were that if you thought of yourself, if you practiced self-care, self-love; you were in the wrong, you were being selfish. This resulted in lots of unhappy, self-hating people, who were trying to do the right thing. This is damaging for the individual, for the community, and for the world as we deny ourselves one of the basic human needs. You don’t have to do this.
Choose yourself today, every day. And then go be generous, invite others, see others, remind others they matter, they belong. The world, we, need more people who have picked themselves and are fully alive.
Great reading from you Amos. Can we be in touch one of these days? My email is here below