Matthew Emerzian is an author, keynote speaker, and the founder and CEO of Every Monday Matters, a non-profit organization committed to helping others understand their value and purpose. His work has been featured in Fast Company, Oprah.com, The Today Show, and the Hallmark Channel. He joins Marcel Schwantes to share a powerful and timely message about why we all matter.Marcel asks Matthew what he hopes comes as a result of current events. Matthew responds: that we continue to operate on our “human spirit” even after the coronavirus is gone. [4:30]Live a life that’s not about you. Matthew talks about the life motto given to him by his therapist that completely changed his world view. He shares how doing community service every Saturday morning helped him redefine what mattered to him. [11:48]Matthew’s book, Every Monday Matters, was used as part of a restorative justice program for convicted felons. After speaking to a group of them at a prison, one man tearfully commented that not being told he mattered was what got him into his position. [18:19]Marcel shares that Every Monday Matters the book is broken down into three sections: I Matter, You Matter, and We Matter. He asks Matthew to explain how they interconnect. Matthew describes it as a Venn Diagram with three circles, where each circle represents one section of the book and they all share an intersection. [21:38]People should be themselves authentically and unapologetically. They should not put filters on their lives like they do to social media posts in an attempt to reach perfection, because every individual is already uniquely perfect. [23:52]The silver lining in the current pandemic is that people are being forced to be their true selves; the masks are being torn off because we are all in a mutual state of suffering. [26:19]Some argue that doing selfless things is selfish because it only makes you feel good about yourself. If being selfless is actually being selfish, then we should create a selfish world, Matthew jokes. [31:22]We are wired to serve others. A life of service fulfills you in ways that material success cannot, and you find a sense of inner peace when you dedicate yourself to it. [34:39]Marcel asks Matthew how we can emerge from the global pandemic as better people. Before the coronavirus hit, we were suffering from a human virus of unkindness, Matthew says. We were not treating each other with compassion. When the virus goes away, in order to emerge as better people we must continue to embrace our humanity as we are doing currently. [36:21]Matthew believes that to create a world where everyone is aware of why and how much they matter, education must start with the youth. Every Monday Matters has a social and emotional learning program in six countries that has reached two million students worldwide. They are also providing free lessons and live classes on Zoom due to the pandemic. [38:38]Every day we wake up, we can make a choice to be someone who gives to the world, or someone who takes from it. [44:16]I matter, you matter, we matter. Marcel asks Matthew to explain how everybody matters. I Matter involves coming to terms with your own worth in all your imperfections and uniqueness. You Matter involves expanding your awareness to acknowledge and celebrate the value of those around you. We Matter explores how powerful we are together in impacting lives and communities. [46:44]ResourcesMatthew Emerzian on LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YoutubeMatthewEmerzian.comEvery Monday Matters: 52 Ways to Make a DifferenceYou Matter: Learning to Love Who You Really AreEveryMondayMatters.com
