You are not nothing, you are everything; you are all that there is.
By Matt Riley, Chief Operating Officer, Jordan Porco Foundation
Let’s face it, we’ve all been there. We’ve all had times where nothing seems to be going right. We can’t seem to say or do the right things, completely lose our self-confidence, or even worse, we question our value and sometimes even our ability to carry on.
Not too long ago I experienced these feelings of self-doubt. I thought to myself, “you’re not good enough, nobody likes you, you don’t matter; you’re nothing.” I’ve had these feelings before, triggered by something I took too sensitively or simply as a result of questioning my purpose after a particularly tough day. This was followed by a period of self-reflection where I desperately tried to talk myself out of being in such a dark place. It was during this deeply introspective moment that the most seemingly profound insight presented itself.
As I questioned the point of my life and what I was feeling, I had an epiphany, or at least to me it seemed like one. The next day, I wrote the following on the whiteboard at work – “you are not nothing, you are everything; you are all that there is.”
If you think about it, life is made up of our experiences and how we perceive them. What we see, feel, and think is all that we are and really all that exists, at least for us. Yes, of course, life exists outside ourselves, but if we don’t experience it or think about it, it really doesn’t enter our consciousness and at least to our own selves, it doesn’t exist.
I find this concept oddly liberating because it puts me back in control. Suddenly what others think or what I perceive others are thinking doesn’t matter as much, unless I allow it to. What does matter is what I think of myself. You may know the famous quote by Eleanor Roosevelt – “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” well, isn’t it so true?
So, the next time you doubt whether you matter, remember that nothing else does. It is only through your experiences that life exists and you get to decide how that affects you. Remember that we can’t control what others do or say but we can try our hardest to find ways to control how we allow that to affect us. Allow the concept that “you are all that there is” to empower you.
Without you, nothing exists.
You are everything.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HELLO to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line.
The opinions expressed in this blog are personal, and not those of the Jordan Porco Foundation. The information in this blog post is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as mental health advice from the individual author or the Jordan Porco Foundation. You should consult a mental health professional for advice regarding your individual situation.
