Don’t Tell Me About How Much Money You Make, Tell Me All The Times You Didn’t Feel Good Enough

Don’t tell me about your degree, I’m not interested in what you learned while you sat in a lecture hall with a hundred other students. I don’t want to see the piece of paper you proudly display on your wall so you can look at it and know you did something worthwhile with your life. I don’t want to know about your office job description. I don’t care how many trophies you’ve won or the awards you’ve accumulated in your basement. I don’t care if you were homecoming queen or if you drive a fancy car. I don’t care about the brand of your clothes and I don’t care about the value of your house. Don’t tell me any of that because those aren’t the things I care about in life.

Tell me about the times you felt inadequate. Tell me about your first love and how things ended; tell me about that heartbreak. Tell me about the times you’ve been so frustrated you wanted to give up on life. Tell me about the times you laughed so hard you cried. Tell me about the moments life has left you speechless. Tell me about the time you got lost and almost ran out of gas. Tell me about the relationships you have and your outlook on life. Tell me about the happiest you’ve ever felt and also share with me the most painful experience you’ve faced to this day.

Tell me what angers you and all the things you don’t understand about life. Tell me what keeps you up at night when you’re so tired but you just can’t push the endless train out thoughts out of your head. Tell me all the things you’re to afraid to share with the world because you’re afraid of rejection, then share them anyway.

Tell me your hopes and dreams; tell me stories you have kept in a special place in your heart. Tell me your fears and lessons you’ve learned along the way from them.

Tell me who you are, don’t tell me how much money you make because that doesn’t inspire me, that doesn’t make me want to be a better person.

Tell me about the moments that make you human. Tell me the things that will challenge me, that are so raw and powerful that they stick with me. Tell me things that change my outlook on life, even when they are challenging. Tell me things that make me think and make me acknowledge the things I didn’t want to believe are true. Debate with me about things I’m misinformed on. Fill me in on your personal experiences with the darker side of the world, make me feel empathetic and help me remain passionate about fighting for change.

Tell me stories of experiences you’ve lived through so vividly it’s almost like I was there the whole time.

Teach me about people on the other side of the world and their culture, from your actual perspective, not from an article you’ve read on the Internet. Teach me about every wrong decision you’ve made so I can learn from your mistakes. Teach me your ways so I can learn how to create my own.

Tell me the parts of your life that you’ve never shared with anyone, pieces that make you want to grow and change and inspire and love.

Tell me those things because those are all the beautiful, raw pieces of life that are worth sharing.

I don’t care about your job, your degree, your property value or the price tag on your clothes. I never have and I never will because those things don’t inspire me when I wake up in the morning; those things don’t make me want to be a better person, but writing and words and stories, those things mean everything.

Share your words and inspire others with your stories.

All I want out of life is to be inspired more and more each and every day, and you have the power to do that. You have the power to change the world just by opening up your heart and allowing the world to see parts of it that most people keep under chains. Knowledge is power and vulnerability is your greatest strength.