Rise to See, Not to Be Seen
I once heard a great response to the question: ‘Why do you get out of bed in the morning?’ The person who was speaking was giving career advice to graduate students. Rather than talk about how one succeeds in academia, she asked the students to think about their ‘why’. What had originally drawn them to their field or to their current project? She recommended that we ask ourselves this question regularly. I suspect that this was more important than all the other answers she could have offered:
Most of us live in a world that promotes one word over the other. We might wrestle with being visible — getting out there and putting ourselves in front of the world to be heard and seen — but we must do it. We are told to raise our hand and stand in front of the class, to declare our irresistibility so we can have power over others. There is an even higher calling, though: rising from not wanting to be seen but to see. This turns our aspirations from self-directed to other-directed, asking us to use our talents to make the world a better place
To rise to see is to be more visionary. When we lift up our eyes, we discover a host of possibilities for making a difference. Beyond our concerns about food and shelter, we see that our unique talents and abilities, no matter how small or niche they might be, can transform the lives of others. When we focus on what we can give, rather than what we can get, we are tapping into a more meaningful and satisfying way to live. When we ask what is lacking around us — in our neighborhoods or in the wider world — we are motivated to act in ways that would make life better for others.
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
The power of what we give can be great, the troubles of our loved ones, of friends, and even of strangers. Our kindness ripples outward, comforting others, and fostering a sense of closeness and wellbeing among a wider group. Small doses of generosity, empathy, and support can offer a shot in the arm to ego and social bonding.
The Temptation of Visibility
Unlike that, rather, others get up to be seen. They want to be higher than others, to be praised, to be recognized. The result is to be superficially first and to be on a treadmill of bestowing and receiving praise. People like that, in any crowd, at a wedding ceremony or a street party, are the subject of gossip. Whatever they do is judged as unpleasant.
No matter how good I do, there will always be someone who judges it as bad.
The Gossiping Culture
We’ve all come across them at events — the gossip, the fault-finders. And they’re a sure way of reminding ourselves that the gig to be most avoided on the Way to the Stars is the gig to be seen for too often, the temptation to talk about the shallows we see readily gets the better of us, and before we know it, there’s a negative whirlwind swirling around us.
In the end, nothing matters except how good you do.
Rising for others is rising through joy — rising to gain our own happiness through the happiness of gifting. Sometimes, we might be compelled to rise based on certain values, such as the alleviation of suffering and poverty, freedom from oppression and discrimination — or, the glorification of all beings. But very often, we need a basic and realistic impetus for rising, one that is undeviating, just, and natural.
This is simply the wish to contribute.
Ultimately, it is a journey from rising to be seen to rising to see — to looking outwardly and knowing what we can see, including what others need, and then how we can offer response and relief. It is a profound and joyful response to rise to give rather than to gain — to live a life fully and well, always seeking to be a blessing to others. Let us rise up, not to be seen but to be of service. Let us rise up, not to be clothed with honor and reward, but to pour out the better part of our lives for others. And in doing so, we give true life to others and also to ourselves.
So, Why do you get out of bed in the morning?
