Take a moment to think about the many people who have crossed paths with you during your lifetime and the very few who have made a lasting impact. You can be a profound influence, just like the family, friends, and mentors on your list.
I am in a position to influence those I counsel and coach because my college Psychology I professor was so interesting and engaging. He changed the trajectory of my whole life by getting me hooked on psychology my freshman year.
Perhaps you will have the opportunity to exert the same influence in someone else’s life. Your willingness to take responsibility, your positive attitude, your friendship, your courage in the face of the unknown, and/or your resilience might be instrumental in changing the career path or the life of someone you barely know.
Since college, the most profound influence on my life has come from those who have experienced life-altering events. This includes my mother’s battle with terminal cancer many years ago, my father’s long goodbye with Alzheimer’s disease five years ago, and a colleague’s death from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Each of these individuals were an incredible inspiration to me, facing terminal illnesses with courage and resilience. My friend fought hard against letting her illness hold her back, and her acceptance included courage, grace, humor, and humility.
No matter what life or work transition you are going through right now—
• Heading off to college
• Getting married
• Going through a divorce
• Starting a family
• Becoming an empty nester
• Going back to school
• Moving to a new location
• Being promoted
• Feeling the effects of downsizing
• Changing jobs
• Retiring
• Facing a life-threatening illness
• Grieving the death of a loved
—you can demonstrate your own courage (I’ll tell you how in Take Courage), resilience, grace, humor, and humility in the face of transition. In doing so, you can be a profound influence on others.