I RECENTLY STARTED TO RE-READ A GREAT BOOK. JOHN MAXWELL's insightful book, DEVELOPING THE LEADER WITHIN YOU. Did you ever read a book for a second (or third, or fourth) time and think, "How did I miss this last time?" I had one of those moments in the first chapter.
INFLUENCE. Sometimes I forget how much the little things I do and say can, and do influence others. Check out this quote from the book: "Sociologists tell us that even the most introverted individual will influence ten thousand other people during his or her lifetime!"
TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE. And I am just going to venture a guess here and say that most of the people who read and comment on this are not introverted. That means that the number for us is potentially much higher. How much care and thought do we put into what we say, our facial reactions, our shrugs, or maybe how we respond to someone when we are watching TV?
J.R. MILLER SAYS IT THIS WAY, "There have been meetings of only a moment which have left impressions for life, for eternity.....everyone of us continually exerts influence, either to heal, to bless, to leave marks of beauty; or to wound, to hurt, to poison, to stain other lives."
DID YOU CATCH THAT FIRST PART? "....MEETINGS OF ONLY A MOMENT...." Wow. This made me realize how careless I am with my tongue. In my line of business, I am constantly engaged in "ugly" conversations. Arguments. Conflicts. Confrontations. How many hurtful words must I have fired from my mouth like a cannon? And when I come home from a tough day, what careless words did I throw at my family?
WHEN I SAW THIS PICTURE, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS "WHAT A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG GIRL". I followed the link, and read her story.
MY HEART WAS INSTANTLY CRUSHED. I knew within a moment how it was going to end. I wanted to be wrong. Instantly, the power of word came crashing down on me. Look at her, look at that face. Can you feel what is going on behind her eyes? Because people carelessly SAID THINGS TO HER.
The power of a word to influence other people.
I started to research, just for a short while, the word INFLUENCE. I found a great quote from a site called Influence at Work. "When influence is employed correctly, it efficiently moves people in positive directions. Those who wish to create and sustain positive change in others need to understand how the influence process works."
Understand how the influence process works. I am starting with how ONE WORD OR ACTION, said or made unintentionally, can make or break someones day. And, I know this to be true because it happens to me all the time. In fact, I can remember what a Sunday School teacher said to me more than 20 years ago, and when I think of it, I still feel badly inside.
Today, I am going to make a concerted effort to pause before I speak. Just a few seconds. It may look silly to the other person, but I want to make sure that I want to say what I am going to say. I don't want to be arrogant in assuming how much power my words carry, but I also DON'T WANT TO UNDERESTIMATE THEIR POWER. I want to use my words for good. To make people smile. To heal. To empower. To motivate. To bless. To encourage.
At the end of today, I am going to ask myself, "John, how many people did you talk to today? DID YOU MAKE THEM SMILE? " 
Then I am going to take it one day at time. And try to practice this everyday. Because I just don't know what the other person is going through.
This post was inspired in part by www.jaredstory.com.
My life shall touch a dozen lives
Before this day is done.
Leave countless marks of good or ill,
E'er set the evening sun.
This, the wish I always wish,
The prayer I always pray:
Lord, may my life help other lives
It touches by the way.
-John Maxwell
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