Stepping Stones

I’ve noticed there are a lot of people on the Internet now who are referred to “Influencers”.  Most of them are posting videos of themselves in order to get attention, become famous, and make some money. And I grant you some of it is interesting, but a lot of it is just a waste of time and not a positive influence at all. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that I can be an influencer myself. In fact, maybe we all can be… but can we always provide a positive influence?

When I was managing an MSBL Baseball Team in Phoenix a few weeks ago, a lot of the guys were new to the team. So when the tournament was over, I made sure to spend extra time talking to the players, letting them know how much I appreciated their hard work and the great effort they put forth. One of the guys, who turned out to be one of the best players on our team, told me an interesting story.

He said, “Back home I play on a local MSBL Baseball Team with guys of all ages, anywhere from 18 to 65 years old. And because I’m one of the older guys, I have to work harder, practice more often, and be extremely dedicated just to keep up with all them young bucks. But right before I left town for Phoenix, one of my teammates told me that the President of our league back home said I wasn’t a good player and that I wouldn’t do well at the MSBL World Series. I hate to admit it, but that remark hurt my confidence and made me question my ability when I first got here.” I immediately cut him off and said, “You gotta be kidding me! You were a super star on our team. That guy must be blind and whoever repeated that remark to you didn’t do you any favors either.” He responded back, “Fortunately, one of the guys on our team reminded me about all the hard work and practice I put in just to get here, so I decided to focus on those positive thoughts instead of letting somebody else’s stupid remarks influence my thinking.”

And that got me thinking… If you are a manager, a supervisor, a coach, a teacher, a parent, or just somebody’s friend… you are an influencer. Just keep in mind that if you criticize somebody in a negative manner, you may well create a stumbling block to their success. On the other hand, if you praise the hard work somebody is putting in, and then use your knowledge to give them pointers in the right direction, you may well become a stepping-stone to their success!

I create my success from within.

~ Deepak Chopra