Kay:
Hey there Questers, and welcome to Episode 97! Today’s quote comes to you from world changer and innovator (may he rest in peace) – the one and only – Steve Jobs.
Shi:
“Things don’t have to change the world to be important.”
Kay:
Says the guy who literally changed the world!
Kay & Shi:
(*Laughter*)
Shi:
Well, what I love about this quote, (and there’s SO many things to love), is really that it’s a simple concept, and yet it holds such dimension and meaning. It’s a funny turn of phrase to say that somebody who changed the world, is telling us you don’t have to change the world to be important. But, what I think is such an amazing insight from that is, AS someone who HAS changed the world, Steve realized that (once you get on the other side of, “wow, I’ve literally changed the world”), there are so many other things that are as important, or even more important, than those that are world changing.
Kay:
Well, the thing about what is important to a person is that what is important is subjective. And you might say, “well, not really – because it is important to make money so that I have shelter etc.” And – YES! All of those things are true. But what is important to you is going to shift based off of who you are. And, chances are your kids are a lot more important to you than they are to your neighbor down the street…
Shi:
And water is way more important to you when you’re in the middle of the dry desert and you’ve been hiking for three days, than it is when you’re surrounded by a river or a lake. So what’s important IS subjective, not only to our perspective and our mindset, but also to our environment and our experiences. So it’s really this fluid thing! And so, “things don’t have to change the world to be important” helps ground us back to this fact that importance is subjective. Plus, we can use this fact as an encouragement thought when we start to feel a little defeatist about everything being done already!
Kay:
And, you might think about an idea that you’ve got, or something that’s on your heart – and it’s easy to look out there and see a ton of other people doing it and think that it won’t count. Or, to think, “IF I try to make a difference, the difference won’t be big enough.” But, it doesn’t have to change the world in order to make an important difference. And it doesn’t have to change the trajectory of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, in order for it to be important for you to get your voice out there…or for you to have your product be seen…or for your concept to come to fruition. So, it doesn’t necessarily need to be this groundbreaking revelation, or brand new, CRAZY thing for it to be important to you and worthy of your investment of time!
Shi:
Exactly. Sometimes you’re called to do “unimportant” things, but not all stepping stones are big and perfect. Sometimes you have to clean out that downstairs closet. Or, you know – sometimes you have to reorganize the books. (I did that last weekend, actually)! But sometimes you have to do these little, seemingly unimportant things to clear up space, shake up your routine, and change your state…so that you can then work on things that are more important to you.
Kay:
Well, a lot of us think that we won’t take action unless we get the idea, or the inspiration. And, instead have this idea that, “I’ll do it when I feel like it.” But, oftentimes, our inspiration comes as a RESULT of action that we have already taken! And so, sometimes, doing things that might seem unimportant to you, are really big and important stepping stones towards your future! And you are really just discounting them because they don’t change the world.
Shi:
Mhm! And the more that we step on those stones, the better riverbanks we can get to, and the more we can accomplish, and maybe change our OWN world. Because, in truth, who’s to say what the world is anyways?! You know, we might think in these grandiose terms, but ultimately, YOU are the world to your baby, (if you’ve got littles at home)! YOU are the world to your love, if you’ve got a spouse or significant other at home. And, I think it’s a Brad Paisley song that says something like – “you may be one in a million, but you’re one million and one, and the whole entire world to ME!” And I think that helps us understand that sometimes those everyday, ordinary, “unimportant” things are what really make the world worth a place worth living in.
Kay:
Well, and just because it doesn’t change the world, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t change your world or provide meaning to your life. I know some things that are really important to Shi and I are the smiles of our children, our fitness routines, and our love for our husbands. Our dogs are really important to us, too! But you might be a cat person, who has a wife, that hates exercise, and never wants children! (And, we love you just the same for that)! And so, your list of things that are important to you as a person are going to look completely different from somebody else’s. So, if I only take action on the things that I think will change “THE world”, (AKA everyone else’s experiences), MY experience will never get better!
Shi:
EXACTLY! So – your quote today was, “Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” And, your quest today is: You IS important! What’s one thing small or big that could change YOUR world today? Feeling gratitude for one of those little blessings? Finally tackling that nagging project? Maybe organize the books in the downstairs closet like you heard us talk about earlier? Do something non-important, so that you can make YOUR world a little more important!
Kay:
Happy questing!
