You affect everyone you meet. Whether with words or actions, in passing or in conversation, or even just with a smile – or without one – your presence makes a difference. It’s true. We all affect others if not with our words and our actions then with our manners and style. You really do affect everybody you meet. Everybody feels it, and everybody feels better because of you. Naturally like most things in life, there are many ways to look at this.
The most positive is the one most people do not recognize in themselves. That is that you create a positive atmosphere, are outgoing, warm and friendly, confident in your abilities and cognizant of your shortcomings. Others want to be around you. Stress is foreign in your circle. People generally and genuinely feel better because you are there. You don’t notice this as a positive trait because you consider it just the way you are supposed to be and assume everybody is happy and comfortable in and with their lives.
At the other extreme is another set of traits those with it would not recognize in themselves. Those are the toxic personalities, always argumentative, rarely pleasant, overconfident in nonexistent abilities, and unaware of any of their many faults. Stress follows them like rats follow the pied piper. These people are not aware of how negatively they affect other people because they never consider the feelings of other people. And still other people feel better because of them. People feel better knowing they can never be that bad of a person!
In truth, the majority of us fall between those extremes. The lucky ones of us are naturally positive and always find the proverbial silver linings if not the pot of gold. The rest of us have to work at finding our positive selves and ensuring that is the version we allow the world to experience. This is not putting on a false front. It is an honest, open attempt to improve one’s self by maintaining a healthy attitude even when it is hard to do. As your attitude improves, people naturally want to be around you. As more people want to be around you, your attitude continues to improve. And as more people are exposed to you longer and more often, your influence on their growth grows.
Imagine the powerful example you can be for your children, new work colleagues, members of your social, fraternal and religious organizations, and your extended families and neighbors. You can be a powerfully positive example, or one nobody wants to be like. One way or another, someone feels better because of you. If you do it right, you will feel better because of you too.
Your presence makes a difference! Use it to brighten others’ days because that’s who you are!
