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Lately, I had spent some time reviewing data analytics for my website and other metrics. One of the items I can honestly say brought me down was the fact the graphs illustrated red lines showing a decline per my previous efforts in September. Instantly my brain felt a tinge of sorrow, unhappiness, and anger in that order.
It got me thinking how many of us use numbers to quantify information, perhaps in a negative connotation-when we hop on the scale and find out we gained a few unwanted pounds, the number of followers or likes on our social media profiles, the number of bills in our pocket, milestone birthdays we tend to call “the big [insert the first number] followed by 0” sales forecasts, and the list goes on and on.
Recently I had a visit with a friend I had not seen face-to-face in over five years. I should orchestrate visits more often; it forces me to clean my house a little extra including getting the corners I typically neglect upon a regular vacuuming. I made a large feast I hoped she would enjoy calling it a five-course meal with a can of orange seltzer water in the middle to clean our palate. Honestly, when she pulled up to the house and I saw her face, it was an instant joy!
We spent the evening eating, giggling, talking about our lives and the challenges we currently face, and then took a long stroll eying the spooktacular decorations around the neighborhood for Halloween. It wasn’t until the end of the night when we took some selfies to cherish the snapshot in time, I realized just how special she is and the first day I met her.
The next day she posted a picture of us and an amazing thank you in a way that touched my heart beyond measure. It was then I realized numbers are just that- numbers! I was so honored to receive such a beautiful message from a beautiful person inside and out.
I’m deeply honored to have all my friends-friends that care when I’m sad, lend a helping hand when needed, or just send a random text to say they are thinking about me. They aren’t in the thousands or the hundreds, in fact, I don’t quantify them at all, because each of them brings special meaning and purpose to my life.
So the next time you take a step on the scale or look at how many likes your post received, remember, don’t let numbers define your absolute value in life. Your absolute value is the meaning you give to your life and enrich others in the process.
I’m cheering for you!
