Influencing the world around you to think like you

I hold that a strongly marked personality can influence descendants for generations. – Beatrix Potter

Success isn’t defined by your account balance or even the things they can purchase. This is hard to perceive in our societies because of the undue import we have placed on money in our culture – our music, crafts, religions, “love”.

Nonetheless there are some people the civilized world will never forget. People that will not be remembered for the money they had but for the indelible mark they left behind. In our recent history the simple man, Mahatma Gandhi, stands shoulder above many. He was reputed as the man that ended British rule in India. The most remarkable part of Gandhi’s weaponry was the absence of weapons. He believed unequivocally in non-violent resistance at all times and stood by that philosophy until his death in January 1948. Let us consider what his philosophy achieved in the lives of some famous people (revolutionaries in their own right):

1)   Leaders of the civil rights movement in the United States, Martin Luther King and James Lawson, drew from the writings of Gandhi in the development of their own theories about non-violence.

2)  Nelson Mandela: “Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. Indeed, it is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it.”

3)     Albert Einstein: Gandhi is "a role model for the generations to come."

4)     British musician John Lennon referred to Gandhi as an influence on his music.

5)     Senator Barack Obama: "Throughout my life, I have always looked to Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration, because he embodies the kind of transformational change that can be made when ordinary people come together to do extraordinary things. That is why his portrait hangs in my Senate office: to remind me that real results will come not just from Washington – they will come from the people."

This then is success: Influencing the world around you to think like you and inspire to your aspirations. All successful people had this feature of success. That is what made them great folks. That’s what made them indispensable to human history.

Positive Influence: an ingredient for certain success.

I hold that a strongly marked personality can influence descendants for generations. - Beatrix Potter (Author)

Success is desired by virtually everyone that has some sense. Every person I have met wants to succeed – even if they have not defined the areas they want to succeed in. This desire to excel is a universal denominator that transcends gender, age, social status or knowledge.

Success though is best achieved when it involves people. The point in which you can begin to consider yourself successful is the point in which you have succeeded with people. This is so because people, not things, make the world worth living in.

A positive influence on people is a very important ingredient in the success recipe. Some people in their pursuit of success fall back on intimidation, fear, or manipulation to get people to respond to them. These factors though may have an appearance of producing the desired outcomes, are very negative. You cannot boast success with people until your influence releases positive energy.

You begin to influence people positively when you learn to listen to understand and listen empathically to them. Folks generally seek for people they can share their lives with. You must desire to understand them by listening intentionally and carefully. Do not interrupt. Do not proffer immediate solutions. Just listen. In addition, your listening must be with empathy. Folks sense when you are listening out of a sense of obligation and without emotion. If you do that you can be sure you have lost the person.

It is said that people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. You can have no positive influence on folks that you care little about. If you would have people submit willingly to your influence you would have to care genuinely over what concerns them.

You will achieve every goal of yours if you would help others achieve theirs. This is a principle of achievement that is worth abiding by. When you make the achievement of other peoples goals your priority, all you need to fulfill yours will fall in place.