They say you're really not somebody
Until somebody else loves you
Well, I am waiting to make somebody
Somebody soon
So often we feel for ourselves. We are usually the first person we think about. You're nobody till somebody loves you is kinda a crappy phrase. We're supposed to be people even if there isn't someone loving us. But the truth is that there are probably people loving us, even if we don't always feel it, and I think there is a lot of truth to the idea that we really don't feel like somebody until somebody loves us.
I know that I am supposed to do things and be useful no matter what other people think of me. My validity as a useful person should not depend on other people's opinion. I like this meme I found a while ago:
I probably shouldn't mind so much what people think of me. But on the other hand, "Man is born, not for the sake of himself but for the sake of others" so my value and usefulness to other people should matter!
I know what it's all getting at. If people can't see your value you still need to keep moving forward and trying and all that, but I also think, no, I know that when other people value me I feel way more inspired.
This blog for one. If I am writing merely as an outlet for my thoughts, that's helpful to me. I process by writing and come out better for it, but when I know that other people read and are affected by what I write I am way more inspired to write.
In any area of my life, if I receive great encouragement, I feel way more valuable and my productivity increases and I become more valuable to other people and to my self.
So, back to Ingrid Michaelson, or really further back. I'm not gonna look up the origin of that phrase just now. So are we anybody if we're not loved? Well, short story, the Lord loves us, so we are loved and we are somebody! "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you!"
But I also want to look at the second half of that stanza.
I know that I am supposed to do things and be useful no matter what other people think of me. My validity as a useful person should not depend on other people's opinion. I like this meme I found a while ago:
It's a useful reminder to me. But here's a question: does our value increase if someone does see our worth?
I probably shouldn't mind so much what people think of me. But on the other hand, "Man is born, not for the sake of himself but for the sake of others" so my value and usefulness to other people should matter!
I know what it's all getting at. If people can't see your value you still need to keep moving forward and trying and all that, but I also think, no, I know that when other people value me I feel way more inspired.
This blog for one. If I am writing merely as an outlet for my thoughts, that's helpful to me. I process by writing and come out better for it, but when I know that other people read and are affected by what I write I am way more inspired to write.
In any area of my life, if I receive great encouragement, I feel way more valuable and my productivity increases and I become more valuable to other people and to my self.
So, back to Ingrid Michaelson, or really further back. I'm not gonna look up the origin of that phrase just now. So are we anybody if we're not loved? Well, short story, the Lord loves us, so we are loved and we are somebody! "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you!"
But I also want to look at the second half of that stanza.
Well, I am waiting to make somebody
Somebody soon
This is the part that really stuck me.
It's easy to feel that we want people in our lives because they love and encourage us, it's another thing entirely to be that for someone else. I can't always tell if I'm doing a good job of supporting and encouraging my friends, but the times when I can help out a friend or a stranger is when I feel truly human.
It's easy to feel that we want people in our lives because they love and encourage us, it's another thing entirely to be that for someone else. I can't always tell if I'm doing a good job of supporting and encouraging my friends, but the times when I can help out a friend or a stranger is when I feel truly human.
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