Once you have it, your credibility sky rockets. If you don't have any, start creating some. Influencing others will make you feel like king or queen of the world. Those who have grown to have major influence are aware of the positive impact it can have in their income, their lives and the lives of others.
My definition of influence is easy to understand. If you recommend something, how many will buy it? If you want to lead a group, how many will follow? So many people think it is hard to gather influence, and it is. But try not to think of the power you have by pointing at something and having a wave of people go to it. The power of influence is not something one is born with, but something one develops through years of accomplishing goals, bringing value to others and increasing their quality of life.
There are two things that create major influence. One is making sure you accomplish all the goals you set for yourself. If you express how you are going to do something no matter how hard it is, you better do it. The more your life history has to show what you have done, the more people will believe you and the more they will follow you. If your life's portfolio shows a dozen of accomplish things, people will recognize you as "the person that gets things done". Backing away from goals and not doing things you said you would do, kills the possibility of gathering influence.
The second thing that creates a huge amount of influence surpasses the first one. To be a master influencer, one must start taking action on things that benefit others. How many people have you helped this week? How many things are you planning on doing to create value? Are you doing things to increase the business of others? Focusing on yourself will bring you some success. Focusing on others will bring you a fortune. Knowing this is true makes you consider bringing value to people. Value is defined as how you provide benefit.
One way of measuring your influence is to think of the last five years and how much have you increased someone's financial, physical, social, emotional or spiritual health. If you have not done much for others, the chances of you pointing your finger and having people go in that direction are very low. If five years of creating value can make you move a group of 300 people, imagine the amount of people 10 years can do for you.
So, have you spent the last 5 years trying things to improve your life and nothing worked? Try serving others for a change. "The key to greatness is finding ways to serve the many". By now you are aware of how important it is to stop watching reruns on TV and start looking for ways to provide value.
Talent has very little space inside the world of "influence". To do for others does not require talent and it is not required to get things done either. Determination and persistence get things done. It is interesting how many talented individuals lack success due to not having determination or offering value.
Meghann Anderson
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Meghann Anderson worked as a Marketing Assistant for a successful company. She made time after work to write her blog on how she beat her habits that made her gain weight by eating in moderation and running every day. People quickly identified with her story. Now she offers value by documenting her life of enjoying food while at the same time keeping an active lifestyle. Two and a half years later Meghann now makes a living through her blog mealsandmiles.com and has inspired 6000 people to subscribe to her daily writing. Let's not think of the influence Meghann has created by offering genuine information that drastically changes people's physical health and self esteem. Meghann not only blogs, she also creates value by being part of many events that bring joy to people. She can point, and people will buy.
The successful blogger took two and a half years to find complete freedom and the life that millions of people dream of. Not only does she provide value, she also got it done by building an incredible blog of useful information, thus creating an underestimated amount of influence at such a young age.
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Aren't two and half years worth the time dedicated to creating something that has value? Do not use the excuse of "she had the time" to stop you from creating your life. She made the time. It takes an incredible amount of work to gather influence and make life easier. Are you willing to start today?
To read my previous letter, click here. |
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