A Seat at the Table | #MyFridayStory No. 271

"You are paid in direct proportion to the difficulty of the problems you solve."

~ Elon Musk

We take part in life on earth to make a meaningful contribution to the progress of humankind. We can’t do this in isolation. We need other people to be involved for the impact of our participation to be felt. The ability to make people feel worthy and appreciated is one of life’s greatest gifts. This ability is available to everyone. Yet, some choose not to share their gift. Instead, it’s replaced with a guarded disposition. One of distrust and suspicion. It’s like they’re out to catch people doing something wrong.

In a meritocratic society, our value is determined by how much we can produce. Being seen as a functional, contributing person, is not merely a matter of being present, but it demands that we add material value. Your ability to create material wealth is how society measures your value. The more “value” you can bring to the table, the higher your status—your merit.

Status. Class. Rank. Level. Rung.

Finding a seat at this table can be tricky, if not damn impossible. Some people live their entire lives without ever getting near the table. Depending on your situation, you could find yourself at the head of the table one moment, and then within no time at all, your seat is swept away. Without a seat at the table, your relevance and value are worthless. It’s rare for someone with a seat to offer it to someone who would otherwise never have one. And even then, the gesture is often misconstrued.

While you're seated at the table, it’s difficult to see those that aren’t. You're focused on the other people at the table. Where they're seated. Who are they sitting next to? What they are eating. What they are wearing. How much they’re spending? The conversations are convoluted and aloof. Society has elevated their value to something beyond human based on their wealth. We allow those seated at the table to hold sway over our lives. Every day, we praise and honour these flesh-and-blood human beings by feeding into the hype.

Stop waiting to be picked. Pick yourself. Build another table and invite your own guests.

Mr Musk may be right about how people should be reimbursed for their labour, but I know I don’t want to sit at his table.

My table wouldn’t be fancy or elaborate. It would be made from wood, something warm and inviting like an old farmhouse dining table. Benches for seating so that everyone can be close and comfortable. I’d extend an invitation to the disenfranchised and marginalised. I’d love to share the table with fellow brothers and sisters of God. Every abused, abandoned, or orphaned child must have a seat at the table. I’d ask those treated with injustice to join us. The sick, the elderly, the lonely, and the forgotten. All sitting at our table. Together with friends, family and the people we love and care about, our table will be a joyful party.

People are worth more than what they can produce. Their value lies in being a fellow human. That’s where the true value of each of us lies, in sharing and caring for each other.

Please extend your hand to someone less likely to have a seat at the table, especially today—

Happy Reconciliation Day!

Have an awesome long-weekend and please be generous! ??

As always, thanks for reading ??

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