Minus 10 Unacknowledged Influences

I've always known that everybody in the world has the potential to influence another. In big ways, small ways - sometimes in ways that provide examples of what not to do.

I used to work in the same building with an older insurance man. Bob was old school. Accepted payments in cash and hand wrote the receipt. He'd stay open late on Fridays and come in on Saturdays because he knew it was hard for people to take off work. He was always on an even keel and never seemed to get rattled by anything.

One day I was upset, frustrated and annoyed about another trivial, idiotic change my ignorant boss imposed. (Oh, yes. I thought I knew it all.) Bob watched me for a but, shook his head and chuckled. "What?" I snapped. Crossing his arms he smiled at me: "You remind me of me."

I couldn't believe it. He was the exact opposite of me. He explained how he wasn't always like that. He grew up fighting the fight. Any fight. No matter how small. If it was wrong, he'd be the one to make sure to tell you. And then, he said, he learned that didn't do much good at all. Things didn't just cahnge because he got upset. As he grew older he learned the art of picking and choosing his arguments. As he matured he learned how it was still okay to fight the wrongs, but you had to really think through how you were going to do that in the most effective manner.

To say Bob influenced me was an understatement. His words come back to me over and over again. "It's okay to get upset. It's okay to want to change things. You just need to learn to do it in a way that puts you in the best light."

I doubt Bob knows how much his words affected my life. And so, this challenge will be to Minus 10 Unacknowledged Influeneces. List ten people who affected your life. Ten people who taught you a thing or two. Ten people who made you want to be a better person. And tell them. Write them a note. Send them a card. Just make sure you do it today.