Picture a room packed full with 10,000 people. Bodies occupying every seat, corner, and empty space. Why are they here? Do you know any of them? Why does that guy three rows back in a blue shirt look vaguely familiar? You may not know them, and they may not think they know you, but every single one of them has one thing in common; you. You have impacted every single person in that room in some way shape or form, big or small. It has been proven that the average person has an impact on at least 10,000 people in a lifetime. I was made aware of this because of my lovely language teacher, Mrs. Wisehart, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
10,000 people.
10,000 lives.
It is quite likely that most people impact a number greater than 10,000 in a lifetime. For instance, the President of the United States impacts millions; how do you think he feels? Along with this, the people you impact go on to impact others as well, so your contribution to their outlook on the day ripples on to countless lives.
It’s hard to begin to grasp something of that magnitude, and I’m still wrapping my head around it. From the moment you were born, you have impacted those around you and continue to do so daily. You made an impact on the person you smiled at walking down the street, and the cashier at the grocery store, and your coworker that was having a particularly bad day. Every single person you come across has the capability to be impacted by you, so how would you like to use that? Will you choose to be passive and let them forget you the moment your interaction is over, or will you impact them in a positive way and make their day a little brighter? I think that is what baffles me the most. I’ve been thinking of the impacts I have made on others throughout my life and whether they were positive ones. Was I having a bad day and took it out on someone else ultimately making their day worse? Did I forget to smile at someone that really needed it? All of these things have been bothering me a bit, and I can’t help but worry that of those 10,000 people I will impact throughout my life, some of them could’ve been negative.
Although it is overwhelming, I am grateful for my teacher making us aware of this statistic. I have made it my goal to make a positive impact on everyone I come across, even if it is the smallest impact. Think of all of the possible impacts you’ve made on the people and community around you. Have you used it wisely?
