ONE OF SEVEN BILLION

I wrap up in a blanket that’s nestled next to my recliner, snuggle a pup or two up on my lap, and start scrolling. 

My Pinterest feed is a melange of fresh flowers, watercolor paintings, how-tos on home decor, savory and sweet recipes, outfit recommendations, and quotes.

I collect quotes. My eyes stop.

“Seven billion people experienced today in a different way.”

Pinned it. 

On this spinning ball of earth and ocean, 699 billion people experienced today differently from me. 

You and me: we are similar, but we are not the same. Somewhere along the way, we forgot this undeniable and glorious truth. I know. Sometimes it’s hard to be human.

Maybe it’s an odd post to make this close to Valentine’s Day when we’re pushing socials for cookies, cupcakes, flowers, and personalized tumblers. But if I stop and think about it, not everyone loves all the Valentine’s love. As much as we might appreciate a slight reprieve, the world won’t stop spinning its way through the everyday on February 14. There will still be bills, work, relationships, politics, lost dogs, broken garage doors, and the evening drama of what to have for dinner.

I see you…We see you, and we’ve made space for YOU because it’s what we want done for us. (It’s also why we intentionally chose BUCK as part of our business name.) 

When I joined a SaaS ConTech company in my early thirties to lead internal communications, I participated in a personal brand-building activity that has stayed with me some ten years later. Sitting in a sunlit conference room in a commercial hub near downtown Cincinnati, we went through the exercise of crafting our personal brand statement. It’s been one of the more impactful activities I’ve experienced corporately – creating an intentional moment for me to reflect on how I want to show up in the world. 

I left that session focused on what I knew would always be true about me, regardless of where life would take me: I use words to inspire others to be their best.

Words. They break, make, heal. They start revolutions and make space for evolution. They remind, teach, guide. They write songs and stories that speak to our souls. They bring out the best, but they can also carry a highly devastating cost.

Social media has made us brazen. We say things we’d never dream of uttering face-to-face. Keyboard courage often strips away the accountability important to creating safe spaces for each and all. 

Consistently, I struggle to understand how quickly we dismiss people we don’t understand. Instead of lingering in the shared space of our similarities, we purchase stadium seat tickets on the frontline of “we are not the same.” Though I haven’t experienced life through the same lens you have, I can allow empathy and compassion to help me consider what it’s like to be you.

Because it’s what I want done for me. 

We want your cookies and cakes to be decadent. We aspire to create floral arrangements that elicit joy. We promote and create art that resonates. But what we want more than any of those things is to offer an experience that highlights the meaning of every single person’s life.

In the words of Geri Weitzman, “Sometimes you gotta create what you want to be part of.”

So that’s what we’re doing. 

But how does this connect to Love Day?

February 14, you’ll cozy up with your person, pups, gals and pals, or you might decide to make a date with yourself for a quiet evening in…alone. I’ve lived through all of those seasons, each one equally beautiful. Though different, every season carries a shared point of commonality: YOU.

Maybe the Valentine you should start with this year is YOU, because truly loving another requires loving yourself first. I know that can be a hard place to start, but I also know that the world needs more of you being you. When we value ourselves, we offer the truest version of who we are. In turn, the world becomes a little bit brighter and a little bit better.

Paint, write, craft, cook, travel, sing, plant, give. Do the things that make you feel the most you, and fall a little bit more in love with “self” every time you do. 

I’ll leave you with these parting words from Oscar Wilde, “Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.”

Because you, dear friend, are anything BUT ordinary.

M.