Dear Destiny Friends,

“Recognize that every interaction you have is an opportunity to make a positive impact on others” – Shep Hyken

Impact means several things to several people. To a leader, impact means leaving a legacy in the lives of people. To a parent, impact means training your child/children with good morals, to a coach, it can mean making an individual better than you met them. Stories abound about the best form of impact. Making an impact is like an investment. When you invest or impact someone’s life with genuine intentions, you are bound to reap from your investments in the nearest future. The mistakes most people make in life is that they tend to reap where they have not sowed. The reward of impact is gratitude and appreciation.

As a human capacity coach, I strongly believe the greatest impact one can have is to invest in himself. You must make your life resourceful and valuable. When you make an impact, you will be rewarded with income, and your income will attract influence from the world.  It’s akin to having a business; people will tend to buy into you as a person first before buying into your business.

Everyday, we have the opportunity to help others or perform one random act of kindness that positively impacts others’ lives. We can make an impact in school, workplace, church, home, community etc. by interacting with people and leaving a lasting positive influence in their life. Making a positive impact in others’ lives is meaningful, however, it requires dedication, energy and time. Making an impact is not only about giving someone money; you can make an impact by spending quality time with somebody.

It is quite sad to note that most times people want other people to make an impact in their life, but they fail to understand that people will only assist you to the extent you have been able to help yourself. This is because you can’t build something on nothing.

According to a philosopher, it’s only when you realize your purpose and the goal you are living for, you are merely existing and not living. Each of us have a purpose and our purpose and assignment is to be a blessing to others. It’s pertinent to note that most people with poverty mindset have always failed to make an impact. They feel the world owes them opportunities and blessings. Rich minds on the other hand, know that they have to make the world a better place with their talents, time and investments.

There are many ways to make an impact in other people’s lives. You can make an impact by making people happy; giving their life a meaning by leaving them better than when you met them.

Here are some ways to make an impact in the lives of people. Look for ways you can make a difference either in their life or in the community. One of the best ways you can do this is by your own character. Did you know you can make an impact in someone’s life by how you make them feel?

You can also make an impact by praying for people. I believe this is the best of impacts you can make in somebody’s life, especially as a mentor. When you genuinely pray for someone, you are calling upon the grace factor and pouring blessings on the individual. I can vividly remember when one of my mentors, Mr. Kola Adesina, the Group Managing Director of Sahara Energy Group, passionately prayed for me; The 10 minutes prayer was worth more a billion dollars to me because he called on the creator to do what no one can do for me.

Empathize And Listen

You can’t make an impact without listening to people to understand their feelings. This is where emotional intelligence comes in, just like trust is the foundation of meaningful relationships and fruitful partnerships. When you make yourself comfortable, people will feel inspired to openly share with you.

The benefit of making an impact is priceless. According to Jackie Robinson, a life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.

In conclusion, examine yourself, and discover the impact you would want to create for yourself and for the world?

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright To Success and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com