With the emergence of Facebook and Twitter and the multitude of advances in technology that seems to keep people connected at levels unforeseen, the problem tends to remain in the relevance of our nature, our actions, and our words. So, the question becomes in the market which resembles "spam media," how do we become or remain relevant?
I believe relevance, first and always, begins with purpose. Before we can become relevant in the eyes of people, we must first know what the purpose is in what we say and do. Purpose is important because it adds weight and direction behind what is said. Purpose is like an arrow aimed at a desired target.
Next, I believe intent is definitely important in determining relevance. Is it for personal gain or is the plan for a bigger goal? Justifiably, it feels good to have self-gratification in knowing that we did something good or said something profound, but too much self-gratification from a selfish standpoint can turn many people away. Our intent should always be genuine.
Impact then becomes the next important contributor . How is what I say or do impactful to the lives of others? The affects of our words or actions are extremely important in being relevant because it is this key element that contributes to how we are judged. We are a results driven society and we are judged in our performances and how people are impacted. So, in order to remain relevant we must determine how impactful we are going to be.
It is easy nowadays to get lost in the 'hoopla' where our very existence seems to go unnoticed. But that's what goes into the main point that I am trying to convey in determining your relevance. Relevant people do not get lost in the masses or blend in. They stand out and people hold on to the words and actions of these people.
Make sure you are relevant. Make sure your existence holds weight.
God Bless
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
What Independence Day means for me
Happy birthday America! We just finished celebrating another Independence Day. So, what does this mean to me. Well, it means a lot not just for the obvious but for the less than obvious, as well.
Around the middle of last year, I wanted to give myself a little project to do. In the spirit of reading, I decided that I would begin to read the biographies of each President of the United States of America, in order. Currently, I am reading Thomas Jefferson, Passionate Pilgrim: The Presidency, the Founding of the University, and the Private Battle. What is very interesting to note is that John Adams (2nd Pres.) and Thomas Jefferson (3rd Pres.), two key members (and notably friends) in the fight for independence against the British and signers of the Declaration of Independence, died on the very day in which they spent their lives fighting for- July 4th. Such readings as those like Common Sense and The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine illustrated the urgency and need for our great land to obtain its freedoms by loosening the grips of British's reign.
In another point in history -an event even more closely tied to me- America experienced another independence; the independence from an immoral past that has enslaved hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Africans when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that declared slaves free, and from passage of the 13th Amendment, by Congress, that outlawed slavery everywhere in the United States.
Personally, Independence Day, also allows me to reflect on my own life. First and foremost, it forces me to look in the mirror and ask myself "Am I taking advantage of the freedoms allotted to me decades earlier?" This is a key question I ask because it is my concern for all Americans (and people). Are we independent? Are our lives free from our own captivity? Is our independence capitulating to our fears? Independence Day for me means that I am free to be successful. It means that I am free to have purpose. It means that I can be great and help make others great. It means that I am free to do whatever I can to continue to make America great.
God Bless
Around the middle of last year, I wanted to give myself a little project to do. In the spirit of reading, I decided that I would begin to read the biographies of each President of the United States of America, in order. Currently, I am reading Thomas Jefferson, Passionate Pilgrim: The Presidency, the Founding of the University, and the Private Battle. What is very interesting to note is that John Adams (2nd Pres.) and Thomas Jefferson (3rd Pres.), two key members (and notably friends) in the fight for independence against the British and signers of the Declaration of Independence, died on the very day in which they spent their lives fighting for- July 4th. Such readings as those like Common Sense and The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine illustrated the urgency and need for our great land to obtain its freedoms by loosening the grips of British's reign.
In another point in history -an event even more closely tied to me- America experienced another independence; the independence from an immoral past that has enslaved hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Africans when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that declared slaves free, and from passage of the 13th Amendment, by Congress, that outlawed slavery everywhere in the United States.
Personally, Independence Day, also allows me to reflect on my own life. First and foremost, it forces me to look in the mirror and ask myself "Am I taking advantage of the freedoms allotted to me decades earlier?" This is a key question I ask because it is my concern for all Americans (and people). Are we independent? Are our lives free from our own captivity? Is our independence capitulating to our fears? Independence Day for me means that I am free to be successful. It means that I am free to have purpose. It means that I can be great and help make others great. It means that I am free to do whatever I can to continue to make America great.
God Bless
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)