ON BEING INFLUENTIAL
One of the privileges that I enjoyed as a physician is the ability to be of influence to many.That is not something that is automatically granted, it is earned. In any relationship, there is a certain degree of influencing that happens, good or bad. How we become cognizant of the influence we have on others and steer it positively comes from being conscientious.
Being conscientious means we are AWARE of the other person’s needs. This awareness is not an episodic occurrence, it is a constant, though at the back of your consciousness. It is being aware of whether they had a bad day at work and need a soothing word. It is about being able to read that person without being invasive or intrusive.
This kind of awareness is about seeing the young mother in the grocery store with two babies and she is struggling to put the box of diapers into her shopping cart. The awareness, at that point will tell you to give her a helping hand and instantly you have just made her day and influenced three lives.
It is the same awareness that whispers to you to fix something when you see things out of place at home and before you know it, your significant other thinks the world of you. It is the little things that says you care.
Sometimes rather than assuming, you can ask questions and sometimes just asking the right questions shows you care, and for some, that is all they need to know.
My greatest lesson in life is that people could care less about how much you know. They are more interested in knowing that you care about them.
As always, life is grand and I am immensely grateful to be a beneficial presence on this planet.
