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

by Tom Rath

Life is not about you. It’s about what you do for others.

Simply asking, “What can I do for another person?” is a good reminder to focus on what’s larger than self. It also orients your energy and work toward efforts that grow in your absence.

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.

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

Let go of what’s beyond your control.

have at least five positive conversations for every negative one in a given day,

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.

even fifteen minutes of time spent listening to another person is one of the most valuable things you can do today.

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

You do not need to be defined by a family background or chronic condition.

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.

Plant a few seeds today that could grow for years to come.

the most meaningful contributions in life start at home.

You have to find work that you know in your heart is making a positive contribution.

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

your strengths and efforts must be focused on specific contributions you can make to other people’s lives.

All the talent, motivation, and hard work in the world will not be valued or remembered if it does not help another human being.

In the end, you won’t get to stay around forever, but your contributions will.

Contribution starts when you see beyond self.

This is what I believe we should all aim for: to make contributions to others’ lives that will grow infinitely in our absence.

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?