"One person can make a difference and every person should try" – John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Is it possible for only person to make a significant impact? In a world of nearly seven billion people, what effect can one individual have on so many lives? Whenever I ask myself these questions or wonder about the influence one person can have, I think of Mother Teresa.
Many, when they here the name "Mother Teresa", think of the wonderful organization she founded, the Missionary of Charity, and the many thousands of individuals that received help from it. It is important to remember how all of that began. It began with one woman, as she walked untold miles looking for food and a home with no money of her own. It began with one woman, who despite the challenges she faced, did not waiver in her deep love for people. It began with one woman and her decision to follow her heart and her faith.
Your Power To Change!
One can look back at history and see many examples of individuals who made a huge impact on the world. Abraham Lincoln, Joan of Arc, Anne Frank, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Helen Keller, and the list goes on and on. It may be tempting to think that these famous individuals were "special" in some way which contributed to their being so influential. I agree. Here's the thing though. YOU are also special, in some way, and can influence people like no other person can. The power of one can be great and is possible because of the power of influence! The Power Grows!
It is important to realize that the reason influence is powerful is because it is exponential. Each time you impact a person's life, you also impact that person's circle of influence. Each person in that person's circle of influence has their own circle of influence, and each person in those circles of influence also have their own….well, you get the idea. Here's a familiar example of the power of exponential growth:
If you were asked to work for thirty days with a starting salary of just one penny, but with the understanding that your wage would be doubled every day of that month, would you take that job? If you're a smart cookie you would because on day thirty you'd receive $5,368,709.12!!
Influence works in exactly the same way! Imagine if those pennies were people and think of just how far your influence can reach! If you influence just two people today, and they in turn influence two people, and so on, you can easily see the the potential! This is how one person can change the world. Influencing others so that they influence others. When you look at it in this way, it makes changing the world seem like a very real possibility.
Start Where You Are
You may be a school teacher, mechanic, dentist, bus driver, or barista. No matter what role you play throughout the day, you influence each person you with whom you come into contact. You don't have to sell all of your possessions, sit on a mountain top and hand out wisdom to those who desperately seek it out (but if you do, that's cool too!). Your influence may begin with a smile, helping hand or even a nice comment to someone. You may supply a meal to one in need, companionship to a lonely person, or play a song for an elderly person. Whatever your heart guides you to do, know that you have the power to change the world. You have the power to influence another. You have the power of one!
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