We have more influence than we realize
We don’t realize the affect we have on others.
When we exhibit something different in our attitudes, moods, energy, or actions, it has an influence on those around us. We can be thermometers which just tell the temperature in a room by going with the status quo, or we can be a thermostat that turns the temperature up or down.
The saying “he’s a real downer’ is true of those who mope around complaining and having a negative attitude about everything. On the other hand, when we are lighthearted and positive it makes others feel good just to be around us.
I was once very surprised by something one of my coworkers wrote on my farewell card when I was leaving a job. Her English wasn’t very good, but she wrote, “You give us energy. You make us laugh.” I thought it was such an insightful thing to say that I raised the energy of the workers around me by having an uplifting and playful attitude.
I was very touched by what she said, but was even more surprised when I stopped in to visit a few months later.
When I worked there, all of us were always joking and laughing together, but now the atmosphere was different. I talked to one of my friends and she said everyone didn’t really laugh and get along anymore since I left!
I was shocked because I never realized what a strong influence I had over the whole vibe of the workplace. It was a revelation that I have the power to raise or lower the energy of the people around me by the type of energy I bring.
’Just Do-ing’ it Inspires Others to Do it too!
Most of us don’t set out to have an influence over others. We aren’t trying to be an example, but it happens whether we want to or not.
I really learned this with having kids! They will emulate your habits, especially the bad ones! How many of us swore we would never do the things our parents do, or say what they say, yet find their words, in their tone, coming out of our mouths!
Right now, I want to focus more on the positive than the negative! I’m always amazed at some of the cool things that come out of sharing accomplishments or ideas on social media. We don’t think we have much power, but we really do! I haven’t felt very influential in my life, but the reality is that I have an effect on those in my ‘sphere of influence’ every day!
I once posted on Facebook about a book I wrote that was getting published soon. At church the next Sunday, a young woman came up to me and said when she saw that, it encouraged her to work on a book of poetry that she’d been wanting to write!
She then showed me the self-published book quite soon afterward. She had been wanting to do it for years, but it took seeing me accomplish something to encourage her to do the same!
Years ago, my husband Greg and I were in a body transformation contest and had a pretty dramatic change. We were sharing about it with another couple over dinner, and within a few days one of them, who struggled with their weight, got a fitness coach and started running, changed their diet and lifestyle and had a transformation of their own. They even started running marathons!
Habits Set an Example
How we live every day, what habits we have, how we relate to people, the way we talk and treat others, all have power to inspire people – in both positive and negative ways. We may not realize how many choices we make in our lives based on the example of others, but if you stop and think about it, there are many.
Sometimes we create a good habit because someone close to us had a bad habit and we’ve seen the destruction it had. We may have picked up bad habits from those we’re close to – things like gossiping or poor diet choices.
Other times, we emulate someone we look up to, and do the things they do. This is one of the reasons ‘they’ say you should be careful who you hang out with, because you often become a lot like the top five people you spend the most time around.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians: 11:1 NIV – “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” Other versions use the word ‘imitate’ instead of the phrase ‘follow the example’.
As original and cool as we like to think we are, we are all imitators to some degree. We may break free and do something unique things occasionally, but most of our habits come from subconsciously imitating those who’ve had the greatest influence over us.
One of the tips for maintaining a good habit, in the book Atomic Habits, by James Clear, is to join a group that practices that habit. If you want to make a habit easier to do, hang out with people that already do it, or create a group that wants to, because we naturally emulate those around us. We also like to ‘fit in’, so it’s far simpler to fit in with a group that’s going the direction you want, than to ‘go against the flow’.
It’s a humbling and sobering thought to think that my habits don’t just affect me. When I have good habits, it’s an inspiration to others. I hope this habit of writing has inspired you!
What habits do you have that positively affect those around you? What habits do you want to develop?
A poem to inspire you!
We don’t always know just how much we inspire
The little spark of hope that lights a fire
The things in our life that others admire
The example we provide that stirs desire
To take another step to climb up higher
To reach those things for which we all aspire
Have an awesome day!
Warm Regards,
Noella