The easiest and most important place to start, of course, is with our families: with our children, our siblings, our spouses, our parents. If I am busy curating inspirational quotes online for strangers to feel enlightened, but I’m too busy to put down my phone when my husband walks in the door from work, then who am I really helping? If I am focused on providing an intelligent reply to a comment on my Instagram post, but I’m too distracted to notice my daughter trying to show me how silly she is by wearing my socks as scarves, then is my focus where it is most needed?
I mentioned that I have been influenced to be a better person by some of the inspirational and outspoken social media influencers I follow, and this is certainly true. They have helped form some of my resolutions for this new year; they’ve planted the desire to do more outreach projects, to take on more creative projects, and overall to become a better person.
However, they have only helped plant these seeds. They lack the ability to help those seeds grow, for the simple reason that they are not actually in my life. I need real accountability partners, like my friends who will keep me in check with my resolutions, my husband who will encourage me to be more creative, and real people with whom I can practice the virtues I’m trying to cultivate.
When I reflect on courageous things I’ve done or virtuous habits I’ve developed, I realize that they are largely due to the influence of someone significant in my real life. We can all be that one person for someone else. (Perhaps we already have been and don’t even know it!) We don’t have to try to reach the largest possible audience on social media. We become “influencers” by our example, by listening to to others, by simply being present, and by gently offering whatever wisdom is in our power to give.
The Snowball Effect
Furthermore, we never know just how far-reaching our influence might be. We are so used to seeking immediate gratification that it is often hard to imagine how our small actions might have huge impacts. Rather than trying to change the whole world ourselves, we should love our families, be good to them, and watch the goodness trickle down from there.
My mind goes to my great-grandparents, who died when I was very young, and yet I feel as if I still know them well due to the legacy of love and the example of generosity and kindness they left behind. Their example manifested itself in my grandparents, from there to my parents, and (I hope) now to myself. We cannot underestimate the power we have to influence others, nor can we predict what legacy we may leave behind.
And to go back to Mother Teresa: She is one of the best examples of someone whose “one at a time” strategy of doing good created a truly phenomenal effect. (And all without the use of Instagram or Snapchat!)
We don’t need a platform to do meaningful work. We don’t need a social media following, a podcast, blog, website, or book in order to lead by example, to live a life worthy of emulating that draws people in by its inherent beauty. We can be influencers in our small spheres, but with an even greater effect by showing people how to live, not by telling them how to live through our screens.
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We may not be able to trace the exact number of people we have impacted in real life like we can track our Instagram followers, but I am confident that the fruits of our positive examples are even greater than we could ever imagine.
