essentialness
On the Friday before Christmas, someone said to me, “No one’s working today.”
“Some people are,” I answered.
“I mean a lot of the people I know aren’t.”
I asked where that was and the person said it was at one of our local media companies in Richmond.
“How’s the news being produced?” I asked.
“Well, some people are working. I was really talking about the nonessentials.”
I hadn’t heard that phrase in a while. I remember hearing it on big snow days in the Washington D.C. area when I was growing up – an area that hosts a large number of government employees.
“You don’t wish you were nonessential… do you?” I asked.
essential (adjective): of the utmost importance
nonessential (adjective): not essential
Last year we lost some big contributors.
I love the year-end lists of the people we lost… the “notable” people… the “remarkable” people. It’s great reflection stuff.
My favorite this year was Inc.com’s “Entrepreneurs We Lost in 2006”. The slideshow version is even more enjoyable.
What occurred to me as I finished watching it was that there were likely a number of people who contributed the success of those “remarkable” people. No one does it on their own. Big contribution to this world requires the help of others. And while those people behind the people may not have made the lists, you can bet there were several people who the “notables” knew to be “remarkable”.
So what I’m getting to is this…
We all have a choice. We can be the notable leader or a remarkable supporter but we’re only “nonessential” if we forget to serve (or
Everyone can be essential. It’s a matter of becoming important to someone else (whether it’s behind the scenes or out in front). And that happens by helping others.
“You’re gonna have to serve somebody.”
--Bob Dylan (1941 - )
American music artist
Today is 2/12. Be essential (to the extra degree).... and encourage others to be the same.
This is totally "spot-on"! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Yours truly,
Jon
Posted by:Jon Schroeder | July 02, 2007 at 10:11 AM