By now, seemingly the entire world has seen and heard another one of Beyoncé’s brilliantly sung songs called ‘I was here‘.
It’s no secret that I am in love with Beyoncé and have always been. Her voice, her power, her beauty have always fascinated me.
Her lyrics spoke to me like hardly any other ones (and, yes, I am aware that she hasn’t written all of them) and it was never a surprise to me that she was and is the only one of the many Destiny’s Child singers to “survive” the several controversies and break-ups and continues to make history.
Yes, history.
This most recent music video of her song ‘I was here’, though not written by her, was released to help the World Humanitarian Day 2012 campaign and has made social media history by sharing more than one billion messages of hope.
This doesn’t come as a surprise when you take a look at the lyrics of this beautiful song. It’s a wake-up call, or it should be, for all of us.
The questions posed in the song are poignant, significant and f**king crucial for every single one of us to ask ourselves. Not just once at the end of our life, but every single day of our journey on this earth.
It’s so easy to focus entirely on ourselves and your little world. It’s so easy to live our day-t0-day life without ever thinking about the bigger picture and the purpose of our existence.
It’s so easy to forget that one day, we’re not going to be here anymore. It’s so easy not to make a lasting contribution to this planet. It’s so easy to waste our potential and instead focus on the security of a monthly pay-check.
It’s so easy to live completely unnoticed. It’s so easy to not say ‘I love you’ or ‘I will always be there for you’.
It’s so easy to waste our life, which is why today I want us to ask ourselves:
Am I leaving my mark? Am I living? Am I loving? Am I doing everything that I wanted to and is it more than I thought it would be?
And most importantly:
Will I have left the world a little better because I was here?
Use your talents. Use your gifts. Don’t let the world not notice your inner sparkling brilliance!
Don’t wait until the end of your life, but commit every single morning that today is the day you’ll make a difference.
Let the world know that you ARE here.
Today.
Right now.
Right here.
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below. I always long to hear from you! How do you show that you’re here?
I hadn’t known “I was here” by Beyoncé, so I’ve just
listened to it and read its lyrics. At first, I was skeptical: The singer wants
to “leave something to
remember, so they won’t forget.” That seemed quite conceited and arrogant to
me; probably also because a character trait I especially dislike is if people
put themselves first, are assuming and think they’re more important than others.
My
doubts seemed to be confirmed when I read the refrain: “I did, I’ve done,
everything that I wanted.” Hey, you’re not the only one in this world! How about
thinking of other people?
But
then, the second stanza: “I want to say I lived each day” – an idea I simply
love and think of very often. How very frequently do we simply live without
living consciously!
My
liking for the song grew when I read the second stanza: “I want to […] / […] know
that I meant something in somebody’s life.” Now THAT I totally endorse! I
believe that being there for others is one of the most important things we humans
can do. I slowly begin to understand: When the singer says she wants to “leave
something to remember,” she doesn’t mean being remembered for some physical achievement
but for one that is interpersonal; for having “brought someone to happiness”,
for having “left this world a little better.”
As you
say, Anne-Sophie: Being egocentric is much easier than being attentive to
others’ needs. The crucial thing regarding these two modes of life, however, is
their different outcomes: Living egocentrically
leads to a life that is much less (truly) fulfilled and happy than living obligingly.
However,
one comment: On the one hand, I totally agree with you that living egocentrically
means “wasting your life” – but on the other hand, I believe this means wasting
your life less regarding your own “potential” but much more regarding your SOCIAL
potential.
It’s
less about the benefits you can do for yourself, e.g. leading a happier life,
and more about the benefits you can do for OTHERS, enabling THEM to live a
happier life.
It’s not
primarily about making the world “notice your inner sparkling
brilliance” but about showing your brilliance by contributing to OTHERS’
brilliance.
In my
opinion, your own potential should be secondary to others’ potential – and in
the end, by contributing to others’ lives, you in turn fulfill your own potential. Your own brilliance
will shine so much brighter if brought out through your attentiveness and
helpfulness.
Thus, in
my opinion, the question “Am I leaving my mark?” should always be followed by
the phrase: “…in the life of others.” Which is precisely what you, Anne-Sophie,
get back to in the end, by writing that the question if you’ve made the world a
better place is “MOST important[ly].”
Birke, thanks so much for your thoughtful comment.
I totally agree with you.
However, I believe that you first have to find your inner brilliance before you can ever serve the world in the best way possible. You can’t fully contribute to making this world a better place if you’re stuck in the belief that you’re worthless and undeserving. However, once you start to believe that you ARE worthy, lovable and deserving and you start to act from that inner point of strength, that strengthened core, you will be able to contribute on a whole new level.
Does that make sense?