The Impact of YOU
It Can Be Great
Have you ever attended the celebration of life for a person you’ve never met? A quick explanation:
- I recently traveled to visit my best friend
- The father (Super Cool, SC for short) of an acquaintance to this friend had recently passed
- I had only met the acquaintance once, about 4 years prior
- The room had a slight resemblance to the ending of Big Fish
TL:DR: Consider aiming to be the type of person that manages to invoke laughter at your own funeral. Bonus points if people you’ve never met get up and speak about your positive impact.
The Obituary
Have you ever read one of those obituaries that keeps you laughing? There are a few on the internets, but this may have been the first that I’ve encountered in person.
It can be a defining moment.
It seems like it’s a strange concept: people laughing at a time of grief?!? Maybe some people care about the greater good. Maybe some people want to do what they can to keep people in a more positive vibe. It’s like a big warm fuzzy hug.
There might not be a single template that can result in this scenario, but I’m interested.
Lots of Amazing Stories
Not only was there an interesting mix of people, great stories/memories were rather abundant, with a few common threads.
Great people inspire. They bring people together. They encourage those around them to do better, but not in a forceful way. They just sort of raise the bar and the others want to follow suit.
Great people may tend to look beyond just about every single aspect of a person….except that individual’s drive/curiosity/intentions.
Are you the type of person that likes to learn how to learn? Are you open to new ideas? Can you manage to hear AND understand a point of view that isn’t yours, or even one that conflicts with your original thought? Do you want to only benefit your$elf? (Note: Rewards from enriching others is vastly different than that of the ‘I can get people to spend their money on junk’ mentality)
You might be lucky enough to find yourself in the same space as one of these greats. There’s a decent chance you’ll be noticed and taken under a wing.
Let’s Talk Impact
Not one, but TWO different people that never met SC stood up and spoke about SC’s impact on them!
Imagine helping others learn or making them laugh or making them feel comfortable enough to open up in a group discussion. Now imagine this same process, but sprinkled throughout the sands of time.
It’s like you’re a modern day Johnny or Jane Appleseed. You can plant seeds of positive growth in as many areas as you are able. It doesn’t take years of one on one mentorship. You don’t have to have your own MasterClass (they are helpful though). It helps if you strive to push others up.
‘It sounds like you’re a great listener and problem solver’ -You, to someone that’s helping you out
The Good Kind of Comfort Zone
The word ‘charisma’ might make you feel guarded. There’s potential for a negative connotation to be tied to this word.
Is it really something to be afraid of? Like many, many other things in life: it depends.
You might blindly follow some people. A person can be water flowing down the side of a gently sloped surface…with a waterfall at the edge. That can be bad.
People like SC, the people that the world could benefit from having more of, don’t do that. They help you feel invited and they strive to provide any form of enrichment of which they might be capable.
They might lend an ear, offer a shoulder, a small contradiction, a word of advice, a high five, a pat on the back, or a hug.
They might not put you on the spot to answer a question, but instead summarize your idea during a meeting. Others may not have heard your message, maybe not even the words, and the SC’s want to make sure your great ideas are heard and supported, while making sure people realize the source.
Exposure
There seems to be a belief that the people that can influence your life must have a bright golden star around their faces. You can see them a mile away. Hell, there might even be trumpets playing when they enter the room.
Sometimes, it isn’t the person that hasn’t climbed the corporate ladder. Sometimes it is.
Sometimes, it’s the person that has received recognition for their efforts. Sometimes, it isn’t.
Be willing to gain value from just about any conversation you might have. Be willing to return the favor when appropriate.
Trust your gut. Weed out the ‘takers’ and do what you can to stay in touch with the teachers.
To sum this up, do what you can to help others grow and learn. Help make others feel comfortable. If breaking into a funny dance helps, go for it. Both of you might have fun and it’ll make for a great story. And as always, keep on learnin’!
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