We don’t live in the world on our own. People are always watching you – paying attention to what you do, how you behave and what you say. Whatever you say or do impacts some one or some place, either positively or negatively – which one is your choice. Sometimes we can affect the rest of someone’s life simply by something we did or said to them. What’s your impact going to be? What lasting effect will you leave?
are you that bright spark in others' lives
When I was a little girl I had no adult at home to emulate. My life was about standing in the food lines, getting beaten and going to school – that was it! One school teacher influenced me when I was about 10 years old. I’ll always remember him as the one man in my life (my father left when I was a baby) who showed me that we all have the power to choose our destiny. I only had him for one year, but he was one of those people I thank God I had in my life.
Remember this when you’re out and about: have the confidence to manage your behaviour. When you topple over sideways in my front garden because you’re still so drunk on a Sunday morning; remember my kids are watching you from their bedroom window (this actually happened). Remember this when you’re smoking in the street, blowing stale cigarette smoke behind you, careless that there are kids in their school uniforms walking behind you, inhaling your smoke and your scent. Be careful when you’re swearing at the driver you think took your parking space. She has kids in the car and that may be the very first time they’ve heard someone swear at their mum. They’ll remember you forever. Is this the legacy of yourself you want to leave to the world? Is this the impact you want to have? Where’s the confidence you started your life with – hoping to do great things for the world?
My life has been completely blessed to have so many passing people from whom I could take examples. These people didn’t even know they affected my life. I’ve spoken about them in my recently published book, Sunday’s Child. One woman put her arm on my shoulder and told me not to worry when we were evicted. Little did she know, she was the only one who’d ever done that to me up to that point in my life. I still remember her.
Sometimes people have faith in you for reasons you may not even understand. Perhaps you’re the only person they know who always looks them in the eyes when you talk to them. Perhaps you’re the only person who’s ever told them their long neck is cute. Have the confidence to believe in yourself as one who can influence others for good. Determine to be the person who always leaves a positive impact wherever you go an whomever you touch. Remember that if you let that one person down, it may be the last let down they can take in their lives. Your let down (even without you knowing) could be the breaking point in their life – or the starting point of a bright and better future. Is this a great responsibility? Of course it is! So be sure to never let it leave your mind.
I hug others. I touch people when I speak to them. I look people in the eyes, and I ask them questions about themselves. Yet, I was never taught to do these things at home. The only touch I got from the only adult in my house was when she beat me – and even then she used a stick. All this I do because I copied different strangers I met who did these things to me. Be confident that whatever you’re doing, there’s someone out there who wants to copy it from you. What is it you want to pass on? What legacy do you want to leave of yourself to someone younger, impressionable and probably also vulnerable? Someone may be thinking you’re the only one left whom he hasn’t heard bad-talk someone else. You may be the only person he’s heard defend the underdog in your office. This person is on the brink of losing faith in the people around him, but your behaviour has impacted on him positively. He wants to copy what you’re doing. You can’t afford to slip up.
Make it your motto, that from today you’ll leave a positive impact wherever you go and whomever you touch. Turning the lights off when you leave your hotel room may not be on your priority list. Besides, only you will know that you’ve left a positive impact on a place you’ve touched. Isn’t this enough?
Leave a positive impact on each person you touch today. Have the confidence in yourself, knowing that you can change the world. It’s only the small amount of people that think they can change the world who really do. Are you one of those people? Can you resolve to make a positive impact today? People are watching you. What will you drop for them to pick up?
Please share People Are Watching You with someone to brighten up their lives today. Thank you.
Hi Anne,
I appreciate you sharing your story. Doing so has such an impact on your readers. There are people always watching us and we do have to be mindful of our behavior.
I always believe that actions speak louder than words. When it comes to children you can talk your head off, but what do they learn? They learn from our actions.
The people you say have impacted you reminds me of when I was a young teen and all my friends were doing drugs. No one liked me because I didn’t follow them. One day, feeling alone and confused, I sat on the board walk on a beach off season. I noticed a woman eating out of a garbage pale.
She caught me staring at her and she came over to ask me for money. Then she asked me “how old do you think I am?” I said 40 something, and she replied that she was 23 and looked this way because she was a drug addict. She told me never to start.
To this day I keep her in my prayers. How many people impact our lives when we think of it?
How do we impact theirs? I just try to be the best I can be. I’m not perfect, but whatever obstacle I face, I try to overcome it. That is the legacy I want to leave.
Thank you for having me take a trip down memory lane.
Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted..Are You Hiding Under A “Blogging Umbrella?”
My goodness, Donna! What a story that is. There are so many ‘bad’ examples we can use for positive reinforcements. Your story proves this.Today someone asked me how I managed to keep a good aura with the background I had. I didn’t get a chance to answer, but I think that if we choose to, we can see in others, what we don’t want to be ourselves. This helps us to take the opposite direction.
Anne recently posted..How To Drill Holes
Thank you for the inspirational post Anne. Sometimes we don’t think enough about the fact that everything we do and say has an impact, positive or otherwise.
Mariella Lombardi recently posted..I Feel Fat – Should I Hire A Personal Trainer to Lose Weight?
Thank you for dropping by, Mariella. And welcome to How To Build Confidence. My post was to remind us all that we always have to act as though others are watching – because they are.
Anne recently posted..How To Drill Holes
I love this message Anne! Reminds me of that wonderful quote by Ghandi – Be the change you want to see in the world. I believe one of the real perks of being a blogger is having the opportunity of reaching so many people with an uplifting message of encouragement. Every once in awhile I’ll receive a private message from a reader telling me how I’ve influenced significant change in their life and it never ceases to humble me. Thanks for the inspiration!
marquita herald recently posted..No Posts Were Found!
HI Marty, Yes, blogging does give us a platform. I’d be talking all the time if I didn’t have a few blogs 🙂 We don’t know who’s reading, and each word can potentially change someone’s life for the better (or worse). It’s both a privilege and a responsibility we have to take seriously.
Anne recently posted..How To Drill Holes
Nice post. it is good for us to remember this. I remember watching an awards show years ago when one of my favorite actors was rude to his wife when the camera panned on him. I don’t think I’ve been back to the theatre to see any of his latest movies.
DM Yates recently posted..Excuse Me, But YourTic Is Showing
Surely, he knew that if you’re watched anywhere it’s when you’re on TV, especially on a show like that. What a faux pas! But I suppose it gave people an insight to his true nature.
I have always believed that everything we do and say has a ripple effect. For example if we say something in public someone could have heard it and told someone else about it, who will tell someone else, and so on.