Do you feel like it’s your purpose or mission to make a difference in the world? Do you want to transform people’s lives? Do you dream of impacting thousands–maybe millions–of people who buy your books or attend your speaking events?
That’s awesome.
But keep this in mind: Sometimes you can have more impact by just reaching one person with your message.
And that’s your job. Just reach one.
Your Spiritual Obligation
Call it a spiritual obligation if you will. No matter what, just impact one person’s life in a positive and meaningful way—every day.
You could be speaking to a stadium filled with 10,000 people or have a New York Times bestseller the gets read by thousands each day. That doesn’t change your goal. Reach just one.
You could be teaching or coaching high school students. Just aim to reach just one.
You could be leading a huge corporation. Everyday reach one.
Dream Big, Connect Small
A lot of the people have big dreams. I have them, too. I want to create change in a big way. I’d love to have millions of people read my books and feel transformed in the process. I dream of speaking to large audiences and having the attendees leave the event saying, “That (or you) change my life.”
But when one person says, “You changed my life,” you know you have had impact—even if that person was but one of 10,000 who attended your speaking engagement, for example.
The Ripple Effect
Impacting “just one,” however, could leave you thinking that the difference you want to make is going to take a long time. You’ll reach 365 people by the end of the year, by you want to reach 3,650 (or more).
Don’t worry. You’ll reach your goal.
By impacting one, you reach others. You have no idea of the ripple effect you create by when one person is touched by you in some manner.
Maybe someone goes home and tells her family of five or her company of 2,000 about the transformation you caused or what she learned from you. And then those people are impacted, too, and tell more people.
Boom.
Reach one…reach many.
Focus on the One
Granted, you can speak to 10,000 people in a big auditorium—and impact all of them to some degree, which is awesome! Tony Robbins, for example, is a master at transforming larger crowds.
Or during that event, you could fail to reach any of those who attend—or you could reach just one.
Here’s the thing: You increase your chances of impacting many if you focus on reaching one rather than many.
Transform one life; make that your goal. When you do so, you inevitably reach more than one.
Mindset Matters
I drove an hour-and-a-half in traffic to speak to a small group recently. The size of the group didn’t matter to me…as long as I made a difference in one attendee’s life. When one person out of 25 told me I had given her a new strategy (to write and publish a book), I knew the trip had been worthwhile and successful.
You can adopt the same mindset about blogging, for example. A lot of bloggers worry that their blogs aren’t read by enough people. They don’t think they are reaching anyone with their message.
I used to worry about this, too…until one day I received a comment from a reader that said, “This was what I needed to hear today.”
Boom. I reached one.
And then I reached another. I got an email that said, “Thank you for inspiring me. I appreciate you.”
These were the first of many such notes indicating that I had done my job.
How to Reach One
If you focus on the fact that you are not reaching enough people, you end up feeling frustrated and disappointed. You want to give up.
If you give up before you have achieved any success or had any impact, you will never impact anyone.
How can you reach one—and, in the process, many? Easy.
Here are just a few ways to reach one (and many):
- Smile at someone.
- Acknowledge someone.
- Give someone a gift.
- Surprise someone.
- Send someone a letter or email.
- Call someone.
- Teach someone.
- Speak to a group.
- Write and publish a book.
- Start a blog.
- Offer a free webinar.
- Start a podcast or Youtube station.
- Voluteer.
- Write an article or essay.
- Start a movement.
Anyone can Have Impact
You may be thinking, “I’m not a speaker, writer, or blogger. I don’t know a lot of people. I’m not an activist and don’t have a movement.
No problem. Just start where you are.
Impact the person who bags your groceries, cuts your hair, drives the bus, or passes you on the street. Reach the newspaper delivery person, the neighbor walking his dog, or your grandchild.
Start each day with the intention of reaching one—making a difference in someone’s life. Then watch how it transforms your life as well.
Tell me in a comment below how you reach one on a daily basis.
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Photo copyright: alexraths / 123RF Stock Photo
