It seems as though I hear more and more these days about the notion of "influence", both from sites like Klout and from various industry lists (Most Influential, etc.). My intent with this post is not to discount or disavow any such influence, but to provide some food for thought.
There are plenty of people I can point to throughout the course of my life who have served as good influences on me and my character. Of course, I also had a few that were...less than helpful.
When it comes to my own personal influence, there aren't that many areas that concern me. Here's a sample:
Am I influencing my wife and kids in a positive way? As a father of four, there are few things more important than the mental and physical well-being of my children. I love them all dearly, and I am fascinated to watch them grow and develop into really interesting people. I teach them about our faith, our love for one another, and how to relate to the world at large. I am incredibly thankful that I've been blessed with a wife who does a stellar job as my partner in this regard. I tell each of them that I love them...daily (yes, even my teenage son). I want them to know that I am always available to talk, and my love is unconditional.
Am I influencing my friends to trust me? I sure hope so. I like to think of myself as a very loyal friend, although I'm certainly not perfect. The people that I see on a regular basis are important to me, and I care about how they view me.
Am I influencing my clients to remain loyal, and to send their friends and family to me? Without this particular influence, I wouldn't make a living selling homes. I've been doing this for 15 years now, and 2011 was my best income year since 2006. Why is that? Well, part of the reason is that I focused on my clients and on providing the best possible service that I could muster for them. This has always been important to me, but I was more intentional about it this year.
Am I influencing the world? This is a tough question. I've seen examples of small actions that have long-lasting effects. Like the "butterfly effect" or the tried-and-trite ripples in a pond, we often don't really know what kind of impact we have on the lives of those around us. I've also had more obvious influence on three of my friends who credit me with saving their lives. Since I can't leave that last sentence hanging with no explanation, I will say that I talked two of them out of suicide (one on multiple occasions). The other told me that he was inspired by my 2010 weight loss and changed his lifestyle dramatically.
The bottom line is this: All I can do is try to be obedient to God and attempt to provide a good example for my friends and my family. THAT is the influence that matters to me.
Thanks for reading!
Photo credit: raspberreh via Flickr.com
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Well put! Influence isn't how many people you can get to vote for you on a list. Real influence is hard to measure because it's a level of trust within our spheres, be that Family, Friends or Clients, not outside of it.
Jason, right on the money, as always. Missed you on the show today, JB and I yacked it up though. I buffered this post, and suggested
Mike - Thank you, sir. I couldn't agree more.
Gerry - Thanks! I am still feeling pretty sick today, but better than yesterday. :) Hoping to be well by Christmas!
Jason- I love this and loved reading about your love and devotion to your children. That you say "I love you" to them every day may seem small but will be with them forever. I think that you influence those around you by being you.... your words, your actions.... they set an example for us all to follow.
I came from a re-blog from Gerry Michaels. This is a beautiful and important post. I tell my children I love them all the time too and the oldest is 45. It's still important.
Jason, leading by example is the greatest influence you can have, because all we can do is manage ourselves. Keep telling your children that you love them-there is never too much of that.
Jason,
All I can say is that our obedience to God is the straightest path to his will... g
So well said Jason!
Hope you and the family are well!
Jason... Thanks for writing this. We can influence others whether or nor we intend to do so, so we need to make certain that our influence is helpful and not harmful.
Amen Jason! Being obedient to God comes first.. the rest of it will be the best for us. I am convinced that God uses us when we are obedient to him..
Jason - we lead by example and yours is worth following
Have A Very Merry Christmas
and
A Prosperous New Year
Jason,
I love your article, I like to say do whats right. Is not rocket science. Keep God in the center of your life and everything else will follow.
Eye C who’z working and who’z knot….
Eye hav meye eye on you!
Hi Jason, Good words to live by. It is good advice and we really need to be mindful or whether we are influencing positively or negatively. happy New Year to you.
Jason, what a great read this was! The most influential people are most often not famous except in their own family circle. :)
Klout...what about Klout with yourself first, be your own social influence. Well put! :) Kristine
Klout...schmout...YOU my friend really DO have your prioritites in line! My family AND my real friends are the most important things in my life and I am grateful to call you a REAL friend! Happy New Year o you and YORS!
I initially thought Klout was cool if for no other reason than it was a guage of how many and what I did online. Kind of to keep me participating. The problem is, when you feel you "have to" participate, things get watered down.