Choose your impact

(c) Seth Godin/Ruckusmakers

I had a really strange dream a few nights ago.  It was about Seth Godin, a man I greatly respect and admire.   The dream was simple. He gave a talk, then offered to stay and answer individuals questions, one on one.  People came from everywhere.   They were pouring in the door.

It seemed like they’d never stop coming. 

Kids on bright yellow school busses showed up.  Adults in dark business suits got in line.  College students in their hipster clothes waited in line, texting their friends.   There were moms with frazzled hair in line with toddlers in tow.  He ended each conversation with his hand on their shoulder, looking in their eyes, saying,  “Go, make something happen.”

It was fascinating.

I was standing in the back of the room, watching the seemingly never-ending line of people file in, and watching his patience and passion with each of them, one by one.  As they walked away, I wondered what impact he had with each of them, how that person’s life might change as a result of their conversation today.   I couldn’t help but think how the world would change if even only a few of them took his commission seriously… and made something happen.

As the line grew, by what seemed like the 100’s, all of a sudden a question occurred to me;  What was he missing?

What was he giving up to be standing there that day?

He could’ve been investing in his family, his friends, or his business, but he was choosing to be there.  To stay there, until every last person filed through the line.  It was a huge sacrifice of his time.

It was the investment of his life.

I woke up with the image of that dream stamped on my mind forever.  It was a beautiful portrayal of a man who spends his life investing in others.  No, he wouldn’t stand all day long counseling and mentoring an endless line of people.   But in essence, he does it every day.  He writes a blog every single morning that reaches hundreds of thousands of people.  He puts his hand on our shoulders and says, “Go, make something happen.”

And we do.

His intentional investment of 30 minutes each day, in a crowd of online strangers, is changing the world in enormous ways.   He won’t ever see how far and wide his impact has reached…

The entrepreneur who didn’t quit and ultimately changed the way we connect with one another.  The author who might have never been published, wrote books and published them himself.  The child, sitting on his mother’s lap while she read Seth’s post, that inspired her to go, got to watch his mom make a difference and grew up to do the same.  The college student who defied tradition at graduation by doing work that mattered, instead of just getting a job.

Seth is choosing to make an enormous impact with about 30 minutes each day.

What about you?  

What are your plans for today?

You set your alarm, did your morning routine and set out to accomplish your agenda for the day.  There are so many things to get done.  Many of the items on your agenda will take more than 30 minutes.

Which ones will leave an impact?

Which ones matter most?

Focus on those.

It’s up to you to choose your impact.

to more love,

Crystal