1-800-WAKE UP!
“You are not for everybody and that is a blessing....the work is never in vain”
It's a funny thing being an "influencer" i still quite honestly cringe at the name and prefer content creator but it does not take away the fact that i am in a position to influence.
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Hello beautiful people, I cannot believe summer is literally coming to an end and September is just around the bend. This summer, I really took to just being present, enjoying each day as it comes, spent a month in the NY Tristate ( check out my Instagram for my NYC recap), bonded with friends, worked towards my other goals for the year and of course writing down my thoughts.
When I decided to get back into blogging last year, there were things I was certain of.
One, that would remain true to myself, to speak honestly and allow my vulnerability to meet people where they were at.
Two, to challenge how people seen themselves and inspire a collective of people to live bold and with intentionality.. To live in purpose.
Finally, that I would serve my SPHERE OF INFLUENCE diligently and with excellence whether that be 2,000 people or 200,000 people, my effectiveness would not be dependent on the quantity of people but the quality of work I consistently put out.
When we speak about a SPHERE OF INFLUENCE, it is an understanding that every person has a realm of who they will connect to, something like your target audience, people that you are assigned to that will be impacted by the things that you do. It is not to say that you cannot reach beyond this, but your impact will take root in those spaces.
This is why we cannot lose sleep on who is or isn't paying attention, trying to mould yourself in just being a crowd pleaser, you loose potency trying to spread yourself thin to reach the masses just to fit in, to later be dismissed by the very people you are trying to appease. We are not meant for everyone and that is a blessing!!
Why is that a blessing? It gives us a clear, targeted vision of where and who we should place our focus and energy on. It allows us to be effective or what I like to say potent in our actions.
Do you ever notice how certain people are drawn to you, connected and committed to you. They learn or are inspired by you and no not just some fan club but people who are moved to action by what you do. It brings to question what is "influence" and how do we measure impact in a day and age where metrics and algorithms set the standard.
How do you really know you are making a difference and not just taking up space?
I admit, at times I really wonder, if what I do is fruitful, if it matters? Sometimes the metrics just don't match up to the effort put in to create content and I can't help but feel discouraged. I definitely can't be the only one, don't leave me out here hahaha. Seriously, keeping up with the algorithms can be exhausting and draining and can quite frankly put the fire out of your ambitions. However, if outside validation is your only source of nourishment, you will be hungry for the rest of your life. Likes, views and shares are only surface level layers of impact.
True influence and impact are not measured in these factors but by the actions people take from what you pour out. It can be a simple as someone thinking about what you said, to something as large as acting on the very thing that inspired them. It can be how they treat someone with kindness, purchasing an item you recommend or as large as how they chose to forgive someone or being a resource to a multitude of people. Being a person of influence is being a catalyst to someone's life, impacting how they view something and giving them the opportunity to create an action.
The catch is you may never know that you impacted someone, they may never tell you and this is why it is important for us to remember the work is never in vain for that simple fact. You just will never know the true extent of your impact. We often say to “give people their flowers while their are alive” but we cannot hinge our purpose on people's recognition of our gifts. The praise and applause will fade away, the recognition, shares and follows will decrease but stay true to your WHY. Why you started, why it matters and why you must continue.
