Important

Important. 

I used to think that it was important to be important. Each compliment, accolade or recognition just validated the idea that I must be important. 

Except one day as I was hurrying down to the front office at my school it hit me that it wasn't BEING important that was important, but rather DOING something of importance that really mattered. 

Being important is all about you, while doing something of importance puts the focus on others rather than yourself. 

Sometimes in doing something of importance your work may be over looked. You may not feel that it has value at the time. However, you never know what influence you might have. One of my former students posted a picture of herself overlooking Machu Picchu in Peru. She went on to tell about her love of travel and adventure. 

It hit me that we had studied about Machu Picchu when she was a student in my sixth grade social studies class. Now I'm certainly not taking full credit for her choice to travel there, but I couldn't help but wonder if that lesson back in sixth grade might have sparked something in her desire to visit such a far away place?

In chasing important you might find yourself on a never ending quest for recognition. However, in looking for ways to do something of importance you might find yourself pleasantly surprised when you see how well someone else is doing and knowing you might have had a small part in their success.