It makes sense that as we go through life, others have an impact on you. It is also true that you have an impact on them as well. How?
It is only natural to think primarily about yourself. You have wants and needs, and meeting them takes up a majority of your time and effort.
However, it is beneficial to think about other people occasionally, as well. You might consider how other people feel, and what they might need or want.
Listen to a podcast where Michael and Lee discuss a related question: ‘What are our responsibilities to others?’ We also discuss a bonus question: ‘Are we too busy?’
One thing that you may not have considered is what effect you might have on the people around you.
It is pretty easy to understand the impact that people around you have on you. A teacher might inspire you. A bad driver can frustrate you. Someone who flirts with you may bring excitement, and so on.
However, what about the reverse? What do your actions, your example, your conversation mean to the people you come into contact with? Do you inspire, frustrate, or flirt?
And as a corollary, might you change the way you interact with people, to try and bring about different reactions?
What impact do you have on other people?
Related questions: How do you think others see you? How do you want to be remembered? What have you done that was inspired by someone else? Have you ever had a mentor? Been a mentor?
I am genuinely interested in other people. I ask them a lot of questions. Thus, I am pretty sure I make those I interact with feel as if they matter. Next, and building off that point, I hope to bring people joy. For example, I love to tell those for whom I think it is true that they are snazzy. The word itself is fun and engaging. I know it brightens people’s day — recipients tell me so. That is one way I try to bring more joy into the world. Also, I am, by nature, a cheerleader. I like to encourage people to strive for what matters to them (that is if I agree with what they are trying to accomplish). That also brings people joy.
Based on how I present myself — my strong desire and commitment to end homelessness, my passion for preserving the world’s seed diversity, and my quest to put a stop to the discrimination against people who struggle with mental illness — I hope I inspire others. Yes, I want to stir up more recruits for my passions (for example, I’d be overjoyed if I encouraged people to garden and do so with heirloom seeds). Just as important, I want people to feel passionate about their goals.
A phrase I just read: “Laughter is the shortest distance between people.”