This blog was originally posted in 2014, we think it is timeless. Happy New Year from BOOST Collaborative.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
It is one day before the end of the year and most people are trying to figure out how to improve themselves for next year.
We are working on resolutions that are usually long forgotten by the second week of the New Year. Yet, we still do it! Before we all go mad trying to convince ourselves that we need to lose weight, be kinder, be more organized, or just, in general, be better people, let’s just all take a minute and ask, what impact did I have this year? What was the question?!? What impact did you make this year?
Many times in our desire to want to become better individuals, we forget to stop and realize that even though we are not where we want to be, we still made an impact.
Instead of spending the next couple of days resolving to make changes, spend the next few days recalling the impact you made this year. My impact may not be as far-reaching as your impact, but that doesn’t make it insignificant. It was of the utmost importance to the person who was impacted by it.
There is no scale to weigh that, or a planner to organize it minute by minute. I have learned that if we never stop to celebrate what we have already accomplished, and we are always looking ahead to accomplish more, then the things we have already accomplished become unimportant to us. When in fact, to someone they were momentous.
As you reflect, many feelings may arise in you.
Feelings of pride, happiness, inadequacy, or even failure. You may be struggling to realize the impact you had or realizing that all you did was truly overwhelming. Whatever the case may be, do not fail to accept that you made a difference in someone’s life. Whether it was the strong-willed child that always manages to convince the entire class to rally against you, or it was the man who is homeless that you treated as an equal, your actions have started a chain of reactions in their lives.
Many times we never see the entirety of the impact that we make. We are not afforded the opportunity to see the difference our one kindness made. That is why we must not lose heart. Every day we have to choose to make an impact, despite how we feel, or the circumstances in our own personal lives. There were people who did that for us. Individuals that never gave up even though at times we may have seemed like hopeless cases. Every day they chose to impact our lives knowing they may never see the end result. They made an impact!
What kind of IMPACT will you make? Reflect using these questions:
- Do you have an effect on your students, co-workers, peers? Why?
- Do you influence your students, co-workers, peers? How?
- Write down the name of an individual that made an impact on you.
- Why did they make an impact on your life?
For breakfast, I had ½ cup of oatmeal, with 2 scoops of vanilla protein and cinnamon. One cannot forget my faithful cup of coffee.
Author Profile: @tracyulibarri