The most important things in life cannot be seen. I’ve been on a journey to prove this to be true. How do I know this to be true? The things we can see, touch, and perceive don’t last forever. This includes the things we chase after, like money, beauty, and status. None of it lasts. We strive hard to attain it, and if we do have it, we work hard to maintain it. All of which only cause stress. We buy a new car, but eventually, the car breaks down; we exercise and eat well, only for our body to eventually fail us, and we stack achievements only for those achievements to lose meaning. Basing our happiness on things that don’t last only creates disappointment eventually.

What are the things that we can’t see? Our values are something we can’t see but feel through our experiences with each other. Providing love, peace, and hope to the people around us creates a lasting effect. According to Maya Angelou, we don’t celebrate people for their actions but for how they made them feel. Martin Luther King Jr. is celebrated as a civil rights leader, but the reason why he’s revered is his message of love and nonviolence. His values lead to his actions. Our values are the invisible strings that connect you and me.

The Intentions Behind the Form

We tend to be fooled by appearances because we do not care about the context or intention behind what we see. As a digital marketing manager, I’m inundated with the need for content, but when asked why, there typically isn’t an answer. As a result, we see the content within the world and believe that it is in good nature without trying to understand the underlying intention as to why the content exists. Once we understand why, we recognize what forms are meaningful and which are not. We start to dismiss the fleeting goals of followers, wealth, and appearances and replace them with everlasting values of compassion, purpose, and growth.

The effect of someone’s values stays with us forever. Once the body is laid to rest, no one will talk about how many followers someone has on Instagram. We will share stories about how the person we miss impacted our lives. We remember the impact of a teacher who told us not to give up, a parent who was patient with us as we grew through our angst, or the kindness of a stranger who sought nothing in return. Six-pack abs mean nothing in a casket.

Reimagining Goals

Maybe it’s time to reimagine our goals. Our goals tend to center around things that will eventually be meaningless to us because they will change. The goal of getting married means nothing if it ends in divorce, receiving a promotion means nothing if it results in a layoff, and owning a home means nothing if it becomes foreclosed on. Instead, what if we had goals of gaining and supplying more peace? Maybe instead of wanting to own a business, our goal is quiet mornings. Instead of going on dates to seek companionship, what if the only goal of the date was deep conversation? How much better would life be?

Questions and Responses