We all know so many takers and much less people who do their bit to be valuable anywhere they find themselves. Some confuse being valuable with status symbol. It is not. Being valuable has nothing to do with popularity or financial status.
Being valued is an appreciation we earn because we have made ourselves useful and helpful in certain areas to certain people. It is literally being liked for who we are. We do not have to belong to a certain religious group, have any particular physical features, earn a certain level of income, or run in certain social circles to be valuable to those close to us and society at large. Note that regardless of how valuable we are to some, not everyone will recognize our value.
While a benefit of being valuable is the significance that comes with it, we should endeavor to embrace the points made below as our acts of service to ourselves and humanity.
Effective Steps To Becoming More Valuable:
Acquire Knowledge At Every Chance:
In order to be able to add value, we must have value, and knowledge is a high value. We should be willing to learn new things from every reliable source. We can only pour from a filled cup and gaining knowledge is a way to fill our cups.
We all have experts in certain services who we turn to from time to time. We probably only have friendly relationships with our barbers or mechanics because of their skill set. We might not know anything about them, even their names, but we run to them for their services because they have earned value in those areas.
Apply Your Knowledge As Necessary:
It is popularly said that “Knowledge is power.”. But, we have all come to realize that dormant knowledge is not power, only applied knowledge is. We apply our academic or practical knowledge to our work and it earns us money. We apply our knowledge of diplomacy in our daily lives and it saves us from many hassles. Applying one’s knowledge earns one improved finances, comfort, value, or all three.
Be A Guiding Light:
What would the world be without teachers? Teaching those who are willing to learn helps create a society of knowledgeable people and eventually empowers the world. Teaching shouldn’t be restricted to classrooms. Thankfully, it isn’t. We find many teachers on various platforms who impart knowledge in their areas of specialization and advanced experience. They are guiding lights who help others make fewer mistakes as they find their paths on their journeys. Because of this, they become valuable.
On a smaller scale, we can mentor younger or less experienced people in our immediate surroundings, impacting their lives and adding value in all the helpful ways we best know how.
Listen To Help, Not To Judge:
We all like to think we are good listeners to our friends and loved ones. If we could switch roles and see ourselves through their eyes, we might find that we have some work to do. The secret to being a better listener is empathy for the other’s experience. It’s easier to be empathetic if we care enough to put ourselves in their shoes.
Some of us are lucky enough to have that one friend or relative who quietly listens to us from the other side of the phone every time we need to vent about that “horrible Jane from the office”. Aren’t we grateful for these angels who act as unpaid therapists?
We can unlearn the habit of hastily expressing our opinions on matters others confide in us with and learn to listen for the reactions they need the most from us. Sometimes, people confide in us just to vent. They do not need us trying to help them solve their problems or hear our opinions. They just need a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or both. When we listen enough, we can tell if they need our insights on the topic(s) discussed.
The ability to appropriately make valuable contributions to conversations or just add value by quietly listening is a necessary skill to learn.
Be Known To Stand For Something:
People are prone to respect and value people who are principled. Being principled is sadly not as popular as one would expect. Society, in recent times, promotes and celebrates many things that used to be seen as morally improper as long as wealth and affluence are attached to them. Because of that, principled people stand out from the crowd and are celebrated for it.
Gaining value because one is known for being honest, diligent, accountable, compassionate, etc. makes one the go-to person when those traits are prioritized in situations. Our principles can directly or indirectly translate to sources of income as well as raise our values to others.
Give Without Pain:
Give heartily. Whatever you choose to help others with, conveniently or sacrificially, ensure that you are able to find joy in the giving. Consistently overextending your charitable side will often lead to begrudging the recipients. Your generosity should be a source of joy to you and those you choose to bless, it shouldn’t feel like a burden.
Mindful generosity helps you find joy in being charitable. Recipients and observers can see the difference between habitual generosity and forced generosity. When generosity is a trait that you naturally have, you unwittingly increase your value in the eyes of others.
Play Your Role Well:
No matter how much of the other points we embody, if we do not play our primary roles as parents/spouses/children/employees/employers… well, we cannot truly be considered valuable. Most importantly, doing all we can in order to achieve our personal goals helps us actualize a sense of value that promotes self-worth. Fulfilling familial obligations, work commitments, and promises are some of the most personal ways to find value in oneself. And, nothing beats valuing oneself. In valuing oneself, one is emboldened to observe the aforementioned points with conviction.
Going by all that has been mentioned above, we know that being valuable is not a status symbol. But, it can help improve our social status, fulfill us personally, and improve our earning opportunities.
You are welcome to share how you have increased your value with the rest of us in the comments.
Here’s to living valuable lives.
With love, Phoenix
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