We all have an impact on the world around us, whether we are trying to or not. But this makes me think! What is our impact on the world as individuals?
This was the topic of discussion in a workshop I attended. Since this was not something I had thought about before, I found our discussions very insightful.
First, we talked about our identity. What traits define who we are? Often, we look to our job or work as who we are, but that is not really who we are. That is what we do! We will need to assess who we are when no one is watching. Intriguing, yes?
Second, we talked about integrity. Of course, integrity aligns us with who we say we are. It is the space that resides between what we say and what we practice. Integrity requires awareness and willingness to stay true to who we say we are.
Finally, we found that impact is what others experience of us, based on our identity and integrity.
We don’t need integrity to make an impact, though. I am sure you know of people who can influence others to do things that may go against their conscience.
Most of us are more interested in making a positive impact on the world. But unfortunately, in today’s world, that seems to be the opposite!
All you need to do is read a newspaper (printed or online) to see the negative impact others can have on us—if we let them!
I find that when our greatest desire is to make an impact, we need to be extra vigilant about understanding ourselves and why we want to do so.
Honestly, I find that the typical ‘con-man’ is a perfect example of someone who wants to make an impact rather than show integrity.
Having worked in sales for several years, I was very aware of this perception of salespeople. (Note: I spent several years as a traveling sales rep, selling to gift shops.) I wanted to make an impact with the products I sold, but also wanted to stay true to my integrity. Obviously, I accomplished that, as I was successful and store buyers looked forward to working with me. On the other end of this, I needed to balance my need to sell my vendor’s products while being true to my integrity.
At the time, I did not realize the balance I was playing in this role. Giving the attention I needed to develop my character and self-awareness while serving my customers was an open field for me to learn positive impact.
What is YOUR impact in the world?