I spy with my little eye something… important to this world. The likelihood of its existence is very small, approximately 1 in 102,685,000, according to an article by Business Insider, and it continuously overlooks its own greatness.
You.
Many of us don’t believe that we’re important. Our views are distorted by the stressors of life and sometimes mental illness.
The constant flow of violent movies and videos have diminished the compassion we show to others. We’ve become beings of quick fixes and short attention spans who prefer to numb their pain rather than addressing its root cause.
The CDC says more than 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime, and the World Health Organization has reported a 25% global increase in depression and anxiety since the pandemic.
I wouldn’t say that those struggling with depression are solely identified as depressed. The depression is simply hindering that person from living in their identity and knowing who they truly are. This goes for anyone struggling with mental illnesses or really any struggle at all. You are more than your hardships.
There’s an assortment of reasons that make you important to the world – the simplest being your mere presence.
The capitalist society we live in has equated our worth with the monetary value we have to our name. Dollar signs should not determine our importance, because we’ve all been told that human life is priceless. We’ve become one of the most connected societies in history, yet we’re so emotionally distant from others and ourselves.
You matter because we’re all unique, experiencing things others won’t know about or understand. These things, good or bad, mold us into the unique versions of ourselves that exist right now.
Without you, your bed wouldn’t have anyone to sleep in it, and your toothbrush wouldn’t be used.
You’re the most important character in the narrative of your life, and we all have different life stories.
We don’t get to see ourselves as the world sees us. We don’t see our eyes light up when we encounter someone we care about or see something that excites us. We don’t see the simple smile on our face as we cross paths with friends on the way to class.
Instead, we see ourselves through the ongoing thoughts in our mind. We see our insecurities in the mirror.
We don’t see our own greatness just as we don’t see every aspect of other people’s lives.
It may not always feel like it, but to someone or something somewhere, you matter. They see you. They hear you. They value you. And if you don’t feel this way, send me an e-mail because I’d love to hear about you!
You’re not a burden to this world, and you deserve to take up space.
Lauren Madden is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Mandeville.
