Let’s play a game. State, aloud: “Two plus two equals four.”
Alright, you’re doing great.
Next, state aloud: “I have the right to exist.”
Excellent. We’re all done. Now for the debrief.
You uttered Statement #1 quickly and automatically. Statement #2 – I’m willing to bet – was more difficult to vocalize. You felt hesitant, apprehensive, uneasy, unsettled, or conflicted. You likely exerted more physical effort from your throat, and perhaps your chest.
Now let’s zoom out and analyze. Why was Statement #2 more difficult? Is it really because 7 syllables require more energy than 6? Is it really because the letter “x” is fundamentally a tongue twister? Or is something deeper happening?
Aren’t both statements axiomatic?
By breathing and reading this right now, you are valuable as a human being. I’m not talking about generating value at your job/in the marketplace, I’m affirming your intrinsic value, your intrinsic validity of existence.
If Statement #2 is more challenging for you to articulate than Statement #1, like it is for most, see this as a signal. See this as an invitation to explore your inner terrain (along with your flashlight of empathy, of course).
Here’s to the smallest minority, the individual.
JB
