#13: Value.

Value. A calibration that is both externally relative and internally absolute. There is often a direct (as opposed to inverse) relationship between our internal sense of value for a thing (e.g., cooking well) and the value that is placed on us for that thing (e.g., being asked to share a successful recipe). Perhaps, taking the time and being deliberate enough to evaluate the quality of our contributions to the world results in more thoughtful application of those things. As the saying goes, what we focus on expands.

But the level to which we can commercially and emotionally benefit from our external value depends on another factor: the value placed by our culture on that which we contribute relative to other kinds of contribution.

The photograph of a pretty person dressed in coveted clothes at just the right time and place fetches a significant dollar amount: high commercial value, low connection value.

A nursery school teacher broadens a child's sense of wonder and curiosity: low commercial value, high connection value.

A high-selling fragrance line produces scents that speak to its customers' sense of luxury, whimsy, and belief in artisanally-produced sustainable botanicals: high commercial value, high connection value. That's the holy grail.