My sister-in-law Debbie finds the best posts. Many times these posts become the catalyst for what I am going to write about. Other times my writing subject is a result of something that has happened during the day, a memory that came back to me, or just a thought that hits me that I want to share. Coming off an amazing week of celebration for my team and I, and knowing the impact we have on others, this post in particular really hit home.

In this big world that we live in, we often feel like a small fish in a very big pond. We go about our day doing what we need to do, taking care of life’s business and working hard just to survive. It is very easy to take for granted the impact that we have on other people’s lives that we don’t even realize. There are many times throughout the day where we do good deeds that affect others that go unnoticed in our own minds. Whether we held the door open for someone entering a store or provided a kind word to someone that made a difference in how their day was going to go, we had an impact on that person.

It is amazing to me how often thoughts of things that have happened in the past come back into the memory. An act, gesture or word that someone did or said that may have happened long ago suddenly pops back into your memory as if it were yesterday. Suddenly, you find yourself standing in front of that person again as if it were happening live at the moment. Somewhere in our brain we store those moments and they seem to resurface when they are needed most.

Every interaction with another person contains the possibility that what we do is going to have a lasting impact on them. Be it good or bad, what we may think to be insignificant can actually wind up being one of the most significant moments in that other person’s life. That makes it all the more important that we consider the consequences of our actions and words before we express them. Unfortunately, our minds do not have the ability to filter out all the bad and only remember the good. The bad interactions find a home in the brain as well.

None of us are insignificant. Our ability to impact others is often beyond our imagination. As you go throughout your day today try hard to be more aware of what impact you are having someone else. That awareness will often keep you from engaging in an action that will be detrimental to both you and the person on the receiving end. However, on the positive side it could provide you an opportunity to experience the impact you are having first hand, and that provides fuel for more of the same behavior. You have more influence than you know.

Have a great weekend and remember to be the reasons someone smiles today.

Ron