The Pluto Principle

In 1930, scientist Clyde Tombaugh discovered a small planet on the outside of our solar system, and for the next 75 years or so, Pluto did an amazing job of being, well, Pluto.

Pluto was a model citizen of the planet world and was a fine upstanding member of the solar system. Then, seemingly out of the blue, in 2006, the International Astronomical Union decided that Pluto, who hadn't changed a single thing about itself, was no longer good enough, and that it didn't meet the parameters set forth to qualify as a planet.

And just like that, despite never wavering from what it truly was, Pluto was no longer a planet. Its value was diminished. Its purpose lost. Its identity stripped away.

There is a lesson to be learned from poor Pluto's unfortunate circumstances.

Often in life we find ourselves in a good place, spinning around in our orbit doing the best we can, and sometimes even venturing so boldly as to be proud of ourselves and what we've accomplished.

We give to charity, we are kind to our neighbors, we love our families, we work hard and make good decisions. But inevitably, it seems, someone (or something) comes along and decides we're just not good enough anymore. And, just like Pluto, we find ourselves questioning our value. We feel less proud of ourselves, we wonder at our true worth. We ponder our purpose and contemplate our identity. And somewhere along the way we manage to lose our happiness.

Through this, we never deviated from our natural orbit, we stayed true to ourselves, but someone or some uncontrollable circumstance has arbitrarily decided that we're no longer good enough. That we don't check the right boxes. And we believe them!

There we were, just like Pluto, spinning through the space of our lives, making a positive impact and minding our own business, when... BAM! Something came along and crushed our sense of self-worth. And, just like that, a few layers of our happiness were peeled away.

Here's the reality though, Pluto never changed. The only thing that changed was the label an outside source gave it. Pluto was Pluto before it was labeled as a planet in 1930, and it's still Pluto after being stripped of its planetary dignity in 2006.

Remember, when we are confronted with being labeled as not good enough, not cool enough, not good-looking enough, not successful enough, or not smart enough, we need to focus on the Pluto Principle: always be you, labels be damned.

As long as we continue to be true to ourselves, those labels have no bearing on the outcome of our lives. We can, and should, maintain our orbit. Be who we are. In fact, be proud of who we were divinely created to be, and value our worth regardless of the labels, constraints, and limitations placed on us by outside sources.

You know the best part about poor little Pluto? It never wavered, it never wobbled, it never took out its stress on its friends and family (not even big Uncle Saturn who's always bragging about his fancy rings). It simply kept being Pluto.

And, just like Pluto, we can continue our path through life with less stress and more free-spirited if we cling to the reality that we are not defined by what others want, or deem, us to be. That our lives are not subject to the judgment of others.

We should find great comfort in knowing that we were who we were before, during, or after anyone else tried to fit us into their box of required qualities or qualifications.

Hopefully, with any luck, focusing on this simple principle can make hurtling through the space of our lives more rewarding, more fulfilling, and a whole lot more fun.

JR Smith 2019