This post took me back to the Garden of Eden. God instructed Adam to manage the garden. His presence there was essential to the wellbeing of the garden.
Our presence ought to be the difference in every space we occupy. I definitely believe presence matters more than performance. We need to get back to this truth.
Butch, I love that connection to the Garden of Eden. It’s a powerful reminder that stewardship is the original Job.
In my first book, Passion Struck, I actually have an entire chapter dedicated to this exact concept: The Gardener Leader. The core idea is that a leader's role isn't to force their team's growth, but to cultivate the environment—the soil—where that growth is inevitable.
This applies just as much to our living rooms as it does to our boardrooms. When we treat our organizations and our families as gardens to be nurtured rather than machines to be operated, we move from being "ghosts" to being essential.
Adam wasn't there just to perform tasks; the garden was incomplete without his presence. It’s the difference between being a logistics manager for your family and being the person who helps them truly flourish. You’re spot on—when presence becomes the priority, the flourish naturally follows. Thanks for adding that depth to the conversation!
There’s something effective in how this separates value from performance.
The image of the crumpled bill works because it makes the point without overexplaining it. The shift toward presence as the missing variable gives the piece its real weight....
Piyush, that is a profound and heavy reflection. You’re touching on the ultimate tension of the human condition: the fear that in the grand timeline of the universe, our footprints are just temporary marks on a shore.
You’re absolutely right that as long as we view our value through the lenses of others—whether that’s social status, temporary trends, or the demands of the "market"—we remain slaves to an agenda that isn't ours.
Mattering is about the light you provide for the person standing next to you today. When you move from being "useful" (a slave to someone else's agenda) to being essential (a source of value for your community), the false ego begins to lose its grip.
Thank you for such a deep and honest contribution to this conversation. It makes me feel like these thoughts truly matter when they spark a reflection like yours.
This post took me back to the Garden of Eden. God instructed Adam to manage the garden. His presence there was essential to the wellbeing of the garden.
Our presence ought to be the difference in every space we occupy. I definitely believe presence matters more than performance. We need to get back to this truth.
Butch, I love that connection to the Garden of Eden. It’s a powerful reminder that stewardship is the original Job.
In my first book, Passion Struck, I actually have an entire chapter dedicated to this exact concept: The Gardener Leader. The core idea is that a leader's role isn't to force their team's growth, but to cultivate the environment—the soil—where that growth is inevitable.
This applies just as much to our living rooms as it does to our boardrooms. When we treat our organizations and our families as gardens to be nurtured rather than machines to be operated, we move from being "ghosts" to being essential.
Adam wasn't there just to perform tasks; the garden was incomplete without his presence. It’s the difference between being a logistics manager for your family and being the person who helps them truly flourish. You’re spot on—when presence becomes the priority, the flourish naturally follows. Thanks for adding that depth to the conversation!
There’s something effective in how this separates value from performance.
The image of the crumpled bill works because it makes the point without overexplaining it. The shift toward presence as the missing variable gives the piece its real weight....
Thank you, Adrien, for taking the time to read and comment. I appreciate you.
Absolutely love your thoughts on mattering!
Dirk, I appreciate you tuning in and for the encouragement!
Thanks for being part of the journey!
Piyush, that is a profound and heavy reflection. You’re touching on the ultimate tension of the human condition: the fear that in the grand timeline of the universe, our footprints are just temporary marks on a shore.
You’re absolutely right that as long as we view our value through the lenses of others—whether that’s social status, temporary trends, or the demands of the "market"—we remain slaves to an agenda that isn't ours.
Mattering is about the light you provide for the person standing next to you today. When you move from being "useful" (a slave to someone else's agenda) to being essential (a source of value for your community), the false ego begins to lose its grip.
Thank you for such a deep and honest contribution to this conversation. It makes me feel like these thoughts truly matter when they spark a reflection like yours.