It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

by Tom Rath

Your life has an unknown expiration date. Your efforts and contributions to others do not. The time, energy, and resources you invest in people you care for and your community keep growing forever.

When you move past self, life is simpler and less stressful.

We are, to a large degree, the product of what others have contributed to our lives.

Life is about what you put back into the world, not what you take out of it.

Let go of what’s beyond your control.

Look through the lens of what will outlive you, and you’ll quickly see past self.

You may not get to control how another person initiates your next interaction, but you always get to choose your response.

You always have a choice of how to respond. Start by assuming the other person has positive intent.

Your greatest contributions are what you put into your closest relationships.

Invest your time and attention wisely. They are your most precious resources.

When you see a rare opportunity, take it. Life is too brief for living with regrets.

Tell someone how they have contributed to your life . . . while they are still around to hear it.

You can’t be anything you want to be, but you can be a whole lot more of who you already are.

Knowing who you are—and who you are not—is essential. But it is only a starting point.

I have read that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described “life’s most persistent and urgent question” as being “What are you doing for others?”

Every morning, wake up and remind yourself: it’s not about me. Then ask yourself: How can I contribute to another person’s life today?