Welcome to Career Advise, the newsletter providing career advice, how-tos, and life musings through an optimistic and intriguing lens.

Each week, you will receive two newsletters written by the Oppstartr Team. Mondays — Our career-focused newsletter. Fridays — Out of Office where we discuss life and other thought-provoking ideas.

Happy Friday to you all, and welcome to Out of Office, the weekend edition of Career Advise.

A Unique Genetic Combination

A wonderful and sublime thought to ponder is that our genetic code has never been seen nor will ever be seen again. It is unique to each of us. Amazingly, our unique genetic code is composed of only four chemical bases, contributing to every living thing on Earth. This unique combination allowed you to exist and in just the right order. That's quite remarkable if you ask me.

To the identical twins: As our understanding of genetics evolves, though small, you even have noticeable genetic differences between both of you due to things such as epigenetics.

The one, the only – you!

Our Thoughts

A majority of the beliefs and ideas we hold most likely did not naturally arise in us without outside influence. These thoughts probably came from our upbringing, our family, our friends, our society, and the media we consume, whether consciously or unconsciously. It’s tempting to think since most of these ideas originated outside of our minds, we are unoriginal in our thoughts.

However, just like our DNA, which is comprised of a combination of 4 bases, our combination of base thoughts and ideas is truly unique, making us who we are. No single person holds or has ever held the same collection of thoughts and ideas as you. It’s through the mixing of our ideas, thoughts, and experiences that we can develop truly novel ways of looking at problems and seeing the world. (I spoke briefly about this in I Need a Dry Erase Board for the Shower.)

Your thoughts matter because they can change the world and influence others who will then combine your thoughts with theirs to create new ideas.

Our Connections

As one of 8 billion people who now walk this earth, you wouldn’t be alone in thinking “I am just a speck in a sea of people. I am so insignificant.” If you look from 30,000 feet above, it does appear to be that way, but as we zoom in, we see connections start to form.

You have connections, and those connections have connections. Have you heard of the Six Degrees of Separation? The theory states that you are connected to anyone in the world by just six or fewer connections. You most likely have introduced people who have then grown because of that connection. Your sheer existence put into motion other human connections.

If you didn’t exist, those connections would have never formed.

Last and Definitely not Least – Love

You mean a lot to someone and maybe even more than you will ever know. Even if we aren’t significant by the above standards, we are incredibly significant to our friends and family. We are capable of receiving and giving love.

Even when we are gone, love remains. It’s through the love we have been given and the love we share that we are truly significant.

Thought

Do you truly believe you're significant?

Thank you for reading Career Advise. Be sure to read our upcoming issue on Monday where we focus on our second pillar: Navigate the Gray.

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