Are you somebody?

I want to share a favorite quote of mine today.  The reason I am choosing today’s post to share this is because we are in the holiday season now, which is generally a time of greater personal reflection.  If we have been too “busy” to look objectively at life or too caught up in the momentum of our day-to-day events, this time of year tends to encourage us to step back and reflect.

The quote I want to talk about is attributed to Lily Tomlin, who I think is hilarious!  She said: “I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I am somebody.”

There are three reasons I love this quote that I wanted to bring up to you today:

• First, it encourages self-referencing. We are so quick to complain or look outside of ourselves to what we think other people should be doing.  Instead, this quote says: What are YOU doing?  It asks us to consider, what is my part in this, and why can’t I be part of the change?
• Second, it empowers. When I hear it, I become empowered – I realize the power that I have in a situation.  I have the ability to intervene, I am somebody who can do something.  Not only does it get me to stop looking “out there,” but it also reminds me of the strength and power that I have in a situation.
• Third, it reminds me of the profound effect each of us has in the world. There is no way to say this with as much emphases as it should have!  How you interact with one person – it makes a difference, it propagates into the world.  This quote reminds me to be deliberate with the energy that I pass on to others.  Positive interactions change your day, which changes the trajectory of your life.

Whenever you want a situation to be different, the first thing to look at is how YOU can be different.  Yes, things around you may need to change, but the only way they have a chance to change is if you change within it yourself first.

One of the ways I personally fall into this need to “be somebody” is related to how the world treats people and the level of kindness that we show to each other.  When I hear this quote, I am reminded that what I can do is have kinder interactions in my life.  I can propagate that energy, I can make it my experience, it does create change, and I can encourage others to do that my doing it myself.

So today I want to ask you – Where is it in your life that you need to be somebody?  It might be something small, like being the somebody who cleans up the trash.  Or it might be something bigger, like taking that one step you can to create peace on our planet.

I am so glad you were here with me today, and I hope this message makes a difference in your life.  You absolutely can reach your goals if you stay on the winding path that moves toward them.

Please pass this on to any others who you think it will help, and thank you for your time and attention.