Have you ever noticed what happens to yourself when you’re getting to know someone new or making a new friend?
First you start finding things in common and realize the things that make you each unique. Then, once you know each other, you start enjoying each other’s company and making more plans before you know it. Eventually, you start hanging out so much that they become one of your best friends even if you haven’t known them for very long. Soon enough, your once unique habits may start rubbing off on one another without either one of you realizing it.
People you care about inadvertently leave an indelible mark on your life and we need to acknowledge it. Sure, people pride themselves on having their own personal style, attitude, or way of doing things, but even so, the people closest to us help shape us into our unique selves.
Growing up, my dad always had a calm parenting style. He would never yell, never show his frustration, unless he saw it necessary. The only time he would really lose his temper was if my brothers or I would disrespect my mother or him by talking back or if we continuously weren’t doing what we needed to be doing to help out around the house. His calm temperament and patience when asking us to do something or giving us instructions spoke volumes to me.
Recently, I worked with an older gentleman that loved to chat when business at the hotel we worked at was slow. Many other coworkers would dread his lengthy conversations and would try to avoid them as they found them to be dull or a waste of time. However, from the minute I met him, I would welcome his conversation even on busier nights. I never particularly liked or disliked our conversations -- they were just an occurrence that I had grown to expect at work. I engaged in his conversation until he decided he would go back to work.
I never thought anything of it and never realized other people tried to avoid him until another coworker said something to me about it.
“You’d have to have an abundance of patience to listen to him ramble on as often as you do,” she said.
I never really noticed my ability to be patient until my coworker had said this to me. I have now further realized that this ability is most likely due to my dad’s patience with others growing up. It’s a similarity that has gone unnoticed to me for so long.
I’ve also recently come to notice other similarities in myself with other family members and friends.
In the midst of our busy lives, we may forget how precious our loved ones are to us. They are not only there to support us, but they are the ones who have and are still shaping us into who we are. Their actions are contagious to us.
In turn, you also have the power to affect loved ones in the way you act as well. Be aware, even in the smallest way, you are influencing others every day of your life whether it’s in a positive or negative way.
So how will you choose to impact others?