I was recently talking to a friend about sharing some of my ideas with people. That friend gave me some advice so simple and obvious, it took a second for me to realize I had never considered it. “What’s unique about your message?” he asked me. “What are you saying that nobody else is saying? That’s what you have to figure out.”
What’s unique about my message? The question was tougher than I would have thought. At the core, my message is simple: have hope. But hope peddlers aren’t necessarily unique.
I tried imagining myself talking to a group of people. How would I explain my ideas to them? What would I say? Well, the first thing I would want to say is, “Hello, I’m glad you’re here.”
That, it turns out, is my message encapsulated. I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you’re reading this. I’m glad I might know you. I’m glad we might be friends or neighbors. I’m glad you’re alive. I’m glad you’re on your journey, wherever you are. I’m glad you have dreams and hopes. I hope they come true. I’m glad you’ll leave a legacy. I’m glad you have people you love and people who love you. I’m glad you’re here.
We don’t live in isolation. Humans are all connected. We’re connected to each other. We’re connected to the universe. We’re connected to the future and we’re connected to the past. Believing this is the first step toward a better world. Every life includes fear, pain, and sadness. As much as we can limit or avoid negatives in our own lives and the lives of others, life, objectively, gets better. And this is something we can do.
So I’m glad you’re here.
English writer John Donne wrote “Each man’s death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind.” In the same way, I believe each person’s growth increases me; each person’s success enriches me; each person’s happiness enlivens me; and each person’s uniqueness, diversifies me. Because I am involved in humanity. And so are you.
Donne finishes with the famous but somber, “ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” But if the funeral bell sounds for all of us, then wouldn’t also wedding bells and victory marches? We are all connected; in the good as well as the bad. The glory of the champion reflects on all of us. After all, isn’t the World’s Champion, our champion? Applause for one is showered on all, and flowers thrown for the prima ballerina land at our collective feet. I don’t just share your trouble, I share your triumph, so I want the absolute best for you.
I have a simple belief that life is supposed to get better. I don’t know exactly what that might look like, but I have hope. I believe we’ll get there. And I want you to have hope too. In the face of life’s uncertainty, hope is our greatest asset. Hope inspires vision, it brings courage, and it leads to faith. No one can tell what the future holds, but wherever we are and wherever we go, one thing is certain; we’re going to be together.
And I’m glad you’re here.