What Matters Most?

Everyone is going to have a different answer to this question.

Love, contribution, learning, connection, action, reflection… There are so many possible answers.

Many things matter.

Sometimes, I can pick out a single movie or song as my favorite. But I would never want to only be able to watch that one movie or listen to that one song.

I want to watch many movies. I want to listen to many songs. I want to have many different experiences, knowing that I’m going to like some more than others.

Many things matter.

When you dive underwater and hold your breath for as long as possible, only one thing matters when you reach the surface. Your next breath matters most. Once you can breathe again, you might realize that you’re hungry. Then, eating a good meal might be what matters most.

Depending on how we feel at any moment, different things are going to seem more or less important. We can think of emotions as ripples on a pond. They come and go. Even when they are strong, should we let them rule our choices in life?

Yes and no.

Yes – we should build our lives so that we tend to feel emotions that motivate us to act in ways that make a positive difference. And no – we should refrain from killing others in the heat of the moment, just because we happen to be angry.

We can have a general direction in life while still being open to new possibilities. We can have a set of beliefs and values that matter a lot. We can act from our convictions. We can make adjustments as we get valuable feedback.

We can be open to the realization that no one thing is going to matter most all of the time. And that’s okay!

Many things matter.