Everything Has Already Been Said. Why Bother?
As a writer, it’s a daunting task to tackle pretty much any topic because, frankly, what’s been left unsaid? Hasn’t everything already been either philosophized or debated to death for centuries? You might ask, why bother adding your voice to the billions out there? I’ve had this thought many times as I contemplated writing publicly. After all, why would anyone take notice of me? I’m not anyone special, right?
Except that I am. I’m unique in that there’s only one of ME. And no one has walked in my shoes but me. Nor has anyone else had my experiences on this challenging journey that we call life. I don’t need to be a Pulitzer Prize-winning author or a former First Lady to have something worth sharing. Others may have walked a similar path and faced similar struggles, but what sets us apart is how each of us navigates our circumstances.
For most of my life, I wrote quietly in the shadows, content to remain in the safety that it proffered. As a highly private and reserved person, I never considered exposing my innermost thoughts. That is until I met someone in dire need of hope. Though I faced significant challenges of my own, I felt strangely compelled to help. Before I had time to process my vulnerabilities fully, I started writing that person a letter. I barely knew him, yet I shared a deeply personal experience that I hoped would resonate enough to give him that necessary spark. To my amazement and wonder, I would learn afterward that my words had a profound effect. Enough to provide him with the required strength and courage to keep going. Whether divine intervention played a role or not, I don’t know, though he insisted later that it brought us together. I just knew that my voice mattered.
Though laying ourselves open to scrutiny from an unknown audience or even to a familiar one may sound nausea-inducing, the power to impact even one person for the better makes it worth it. We may not always agree with one another, and that’s okay. Through such discourse, we learn from one another and expand our minds.
We eagerly absorb words written by famous people, as if their stature gives their thoughts and experiences more meaning. Indeed, their observations have been immortalized in history books for a reason. Yet, the importance you attach to someone’s words is yours alone. No one else gets to decide what is meaningful. What if the person next door has just as much insight about life as the Dalai Lama? You might very well be living alongside the next prominent philosopher of the century. Or perhaps the next great thinker is you.
Our voice is our calling card. It identifies who we are in this world, sets us apart, and brings us together. It took me a while to realize that I deserve to be heard. So do you. Please leave your calling card.
