Imagine dropping a single pebble into a still pond. The pebble disappears but its ripples travel out, moving across the surface in widening circles that eventually touch the shore. Each circle reaches farther than the one before.
Now imagine that pebble is your life- your spoken word, your act of kindness, your silent prayer, your moment of courage. Every small thing you do generates ripples. You may never see where they land, but they land.
In fact, over the course of your lifetime, you will impact thousands of people without even trying. Researchers think this number is around 10,000 people… and that’s just for introverts!
That’s a lot of impact.
This includes both negative and positive influence.
I can tell you right now that back in the day, me and my big mouth negatively influenced many people and to be honest, that makes me a little sad.
I’ve gotten better, but I don’t always get it right because duh, I’m human. I’m trying out here.
The Extent of Your Impact
Chances are you’re probably not a public figure, but even so, your reach is greater than you think.
You have friends and family, co-workers, peers, and even random people that you cross paths and interact with on a regular basis. And in every one of these encounters and relationships, you make an impression.
It could be a look, smile, gesture, word, listening ear, or any other number of outputs. Whatever it is, your impact on others is undeniable.
When you stop to think about the power of every touch point you have with others, doesn’t it make you want to do better?
Wouldn’t it be amazing to be the reason someone feels appreciated, happy, respected, seen and heard, hopeful?
Recently, I took a weekend road trip with my best friend and son for a quinceanera in Mexico. Long story short, we took the wrong exit, got pulled over at the border, and then, on our way out, blew a tire (If you want the full story, listen to the episode “Next Time, Listen to Lupita“).
Side note: I was thinking about this incident and how the old me would not have been as calm. There definitely would’ve been some swear words and a whole lot of attitude to go with it, which would’ve left a terrible impression on my son and best friend. These are the moments that show me how far I’ve come. It reminds me of a quote: “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” Amen to that.
Anyway, after my son changed my tire, we drove to the nearest Discount Tires to get a new one. We were greeted by Tomas, who was SO kind and professional. He gave 5 star service from start to finish. When we were all set and back on the road, we talked about how nice he was and how smooth everything went because of him. That day, Tomas, a complete stranger made a difference through one brief interaction simply by being kind and helpful.
I could give many more examples, but the point is, even the smallest of your actions matters…and over time, shapes your legacy.
But did you know, beyond your simple daily actions, that you also impact others on a much larger scale? I’m talking about your faith walk, your willingness to take risks, the pursuit of your dreams, service to others, etc. You inspire people just by being who you are!
Remember, someone is always watching and it could be your obedience and commitment to talking the talk and walking the walk that changes someone’s life for good.
Leave a Legacy You Can Be Proud Of
Even though I’m certain my mom would’ve changed so many things about her life if she had the chance, one of the greatest, most impactful things she did was to love others well, no matter what. A perfect example: 20 years after her death, on her heavenly anniversary, my brother’s best friend from childhood changed his profile picture to my mom’s photo. Who does that…every year for 20 years!? And he’s not the only one.
She was far from perfect, but one thing (and the most important thing in my opinion) she did well was loving others with her whole heart.
Every day, you have a choice of how you’re going to show up.
You won’t always know who you impact or how but you get to decide ahead of time what your mark will be.
What will you say, not say, do, not do…? It all counts. Your impact affects others in both big and small ways and shapes your legacy.
Cheers to a positive impact every day in every way.
Nothing but love,
Barbara
Pursu Agency