How influential are you? Just asking that question makes many people cringe with negative connotations of the meaning of the word “influential”. If we go a bit deeper, the dictionary defines, “influential” as one who exerts or possesses influence. “Influence” is defined as the act or power of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command or, the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways.

In some way, if you’re reading this blog, you may have been influenced by the content we provide each day on InspireMeToday.com. (Hopefully in a very good way!)

We’ve all had personal experiences where we were influenced by another and where we’ve influenced others.

Like many things in life, influence by and of itself is neither a good or bad thing. The important thing is the intention. If you’re using influence to sell someone a car that they can’t afford, that’s probably not a good thing. If you’re using influence to inspire people to reach out and serve one another, that’s most likely a positive thing.

Influence, like many other things, is primarily determined by the person wielding the influence. Influence is nothing more than a tool and we get to choose how to use it. With the privilege of influence also comes responsibility.

Which begs the question, “If you had great influence in the world, what would then be possible for you?” Would you go into sales and make millions? Would you raise money for charity or change public policy? How would you serve the greater good?

The reason this blog topic came up is due to the Fast Company Influence Project. This is a contest to measure our “influence”, or in this case, our reach in social media. Anyone can join by registering on the Fast Company website, then inviting their friends and associates to click on the link, sign up and pass it on again. The contest tracks how deep our connections go. It’s a trackable version of the six degrees of separation where you can see that the 50 people that you got to click on your link, each got another 50 to click on theirs, who each got another 50 to click on theirs… and so on. Pretty soon, you’ve reached millions of people. As your influence grows, so does the size of your photo.

Fast Company Influence Project

I’m participating in the FastCompany Influence Project and would greatly appreciate your support. I’m humbly asking you to please take 30 seconds to click on this link to help me track our influence.

You might be wonder why we are participating in this contest. We believe that with great influence you have a better chance of achieving great things. As we reach out daily through InspireMeToday.com and plan our upcoming Global Hug Tour, the simple fact is the more people we can reach, the more good we can do in the world. Influence allow us to create positive change.

Some have suggested this contest is just an egotistical, popularity contest. Again, it depends how you look at it, and how you choose to use the tool. If we were using the influence that we might gain for self-serving reasons, maybe. We have a bigger task at hand.

For the past two years we’ve been providing FREE inspiration to you each day. We’ve often been asked, “How can I thank you for the great, free inspiration that makes such a difference in my life?”…….. and here’s the answer. It’s easy and won’t cost you a dime. We need your help:

1) Vote for InspireMeToday in the FastCompany Influence Project and share this link with your contacts. If everyone who reads this passes this on to their list, we truly can reach the world. (Here’s the link if you want to cut and paste- http://fcinf.com/v/ay8e)

2) Follow @InspireMeToday and @GlobalHugTour on Twitter

3) Join our FaceBook “Like” Page for InspireMeToday and TheGlobalHugTour

4) Sign up to receive FREE daily inspiration from InspireMeToday.com by email, through the RSS feed or on your iPhone.

Thank you in advance for your kind assistance in helping us inspire the world. As Margaret Mead once said, “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” We welcome you to join our small group and together, make a BIG difference.

Each morning as we wake up we have a choice to determine the direction of the day. We can go into default mode and wake up fearful and worried about things like how am I going to pay the bills, heal this relationship, find a job, etc….. or we can make the conscious decision to choose the kind of day we’d like to experience. Many times the events of the day happen so quickly, we get caught up in the drama and we truly feel that we don’t have a choice. Things just happen. Bad things happen to good people.

But, even in the midst of confusion, pain or suffering, we do have a choice in our reaction to our circumstances. No matter what happens, we get to choose how to react to it. I’m the first to admit that this is often difficult to remember when life is smacking us in the face. It’s so much easier to do when we intentionally set the tone for our day BEFORE we jump into it.

Personally, I find that the first 15 minutes of my day is the most important part of the entire 24 hours. It’s like putting the train on the right track at the beginning of the day rather than trying to right a derailed train later.

Here are a few tips to help you through difficult times and help you take control of your day- before it ever begins.

As you wake up tomorrow morning, remind yourself of these things….

1.) Don’t buy into what appears as real. You are not your problems. You are not your failures. You are a magnificent being with unlimited potential.

2.) Hold the vision of what you WANT to happen, not what appears to be happening. Stay with the vision. See it, share it, feel it. Focus on what you want to bring into your life rather than what might appear to be showing up.

3.) Keep the faith. When scary things happen, remember to go inside and renew your faith that everything is unfolding as it should. You are a child of God, no less then the moon and the stars. Certainly if the entire Universe works with perfection and we’re an integral part of it, then things are happening as they should for us too. Our challenge isn’t to deal with what may appear as a problem, but to find the blessing in the situation. Find the gift in what’s happening around you.

4.) Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. Remember that fear is just an illusion. It’s simply energy that can be redirected to excitement, just by changing your focus.

5.) Remember, this too shall pass. All things come and go. Change is the only thing that’s constant in our lives. Be open. Adapt. Know that what may appear as a mountain in front of you will soon be a molehill behind you. Knowing this too shall pass enables us to get through anything.

6.) Remember your inner magnificence! You are an infinite being with unlimited potential. Seriously, when you think about it in that way, would an infinite being be afraid of anything? YOU are infinite. You are a part of something so much bigger than yourself or your problems. Tap into that greatness and put things in perspective.

7.) Surround yourself with people who support you. On days that you forget your magnificence, they’ll be there to remind you of how amazing you are and help you see the beauty and possibility of life. They’ll be there to help you achieve your dreams and contribute to the world in a bigger way.

8.) Realize that you are not alone. You are part of God, the Universe, a greater consciousness or whatever you may call that overpowering, loving force of Nature. You are not meant to walk alone, nor can you ever really do so.  We are intertwined and are all part of one another. We are all the same. And we are walking this path together, going through the same things, learning the same lessons. Be compassionate with one another.

9.) Practice gratitude. When you count your blessings a world of abundance opens unto you. And if what you focus on grows, then let it be gratitude.

10.) Go do something for someone else. Start your day asking yourself, “How can I be of service” and watch your own problems diminish. The perceived size of your problem will diminish in direct proportion to the how much you give to others. Be there for one another.

Reread this again tomorrow morning, put this into action in your own life and let me know how it works for you. We’re here to help remind you that you can do, be or create anything in your life. We’re walking the same path with you and we’re here to support you in any way. Please, let me know how we can be of greater service to you. Now, go make your day rock!

So often in life we stay within the same lines, do the same thing and play it safe. Yet, there is a great big unexplored world out there… just waiting for us to be a bit more adventurous. At those times when we dare to venture into the unknown, amazing things can happen.

This past weekend I had the perfect tangible example of this principal. Our extended family was visiting from Seattle and we decided to take the family water skiing and tubing on Flathead Lake. For those that have never done this, please allow me to explain some of the physics of water skiing.
The engine of the boat under power creates a V-shaped path behind the boat, called the wake.  It is almost like the boat calms this area of the water, usually creating the easiest and safest place to tube or water ski- but not necessarily the most fun. As long as the boat is traveling in a straight line, it’s easy to stay in the wake and ski or tube safely and easily.

The V-shaped wake is delineated by a wave of water, usually from 6″ to a foot or two high, which can easily be crossed by an experienced water skier or tuber. When you exert pressure (weight) by leaning to one side or the other, the ski or the tube will go in that direction, allowing you to steer yourself right or left. This motion allows us to intentionally direct our course and actually cross the wake. However, crossing the wake can be incredibly intimidating to most- especially the first time you try to venture outside of the safety of its borders and explore uncharted waters.

The area outside the V-shaped wake hasn’t been “smoothed” by the engine and can sometimes contain waves or otherwise turbulent waters. It can be a bit more difficult stepping into the unknown, but it’s usually more exhilarating too.

Just as in life, when the boat turns, the forces of Nature, in this case centrifugal force, tries to slingshot us across the wake at what feels like a great speed. It can be downright scary, depending upon the height of our protective walls of the wake.

I have to smile at the similarity of life. How many times do we stay in our own wake and fear crossing outside into unknown territory? How often do we require the twists and turns of our life path to create a force that literally propels us outside of our comfort zone?

If we stay within our normal boundaries, it’s easy to be comfortable. Traveling outside of the wake or our comfort zone, is an exciting experience because we’re venturing into unknown territory. It takes courage but the more we dare to explore outward, the more our comfort zone expands.

Instead of being afraid to try something new, what would it look like to exert pressure and go there intentionally? For an experienced tuber or skier, being in the wake is boring. Although crossing the wake can be a bit tricky, the greatest thrills are to be found outside the boundaries of safety.

Where in your life are you staying within self-imposed boundaries because you don’t yet have the confidence to cross your own wake? What would it take for you to choose to fly across the wake, get a little air, feel the wind on your face as the force of life pulls you faster and faster, as you scream WOOOHOOOOO!?

Crossing the wake of life is like anything else- it’s all in our mind. If we think it’s going to be difficult, we’re right. If we think it will be easy, once again, we’re right. In water skiing, tubing or life, we get to choose the quality of our experience. We get to choose the level of difficulty.  We get to create our experience.
For today, let’s break through our limiting beliefs, realize that we are infinite beings with unlimited potential and literally jump our own self-imposed wake. There is a great big beautiful world out there just waiting to be explored by us. Let’s go enjoy the day and make it happen!

Destiny is defined as the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future, or the hidden power believed to control what will happen in the future; fate. Some believe that everything is controlled by destiny and we have little control over the outcome. Others believe that our thoughts alone control our future. Regardless of your personal belief, I hope you enjoy the following story which I found and loved…

During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to attack even though his army was greatly outnumbered. He was confident they would win, but his men were filled with doubt. On the way to the battle, they stopped at a religious shrine. After praying with the men, the general took out a coin and said,

“I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we shall win. If tails, we shall lose. Destiny will now reveal itself.”

He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as it landed. It was heads. The soldiers were so overjoyed and filled with confidence that they vigorously attacked the enemy and were victorious. After the battle, a lieutenant remarked to the general,

“No one can change destiny.”

“Quite right,” the general replied as he showed the lieutenant the coin, which had heads on both sides.