Who Influences You?

I have been leading our management team in a conversation about Who influences you? We have pretty much determined that all of us are influenced by others, in one way or another. To ignore that fact is like ignoring gravity. It is still there, whether we believe it or not.

Some people influence us negatively. Those are the people who either purposefully draw us away from our passions and pursuits, or who unintentionally suck away our energy because they haven't got control of their own lives and personalities. You know the ones in your life: when we see them coming we want to duck and hide.

We walk a fine line when relating to these people. We want to have an influence in their lives and to encourage them to excellence, but the price we pay in time, emotional energy and resources to do that is sometimes more than we are willing to pay at a particular time. It is a precarious place that we find ourselves in.

Then there are those who are positive influences in our lives. Those who inspire us to greatness, who push us to be better. They come alongside of us and combining with our lives, together we become a sum greater than its parts.

These are the people I want to be with. These are the ones whom I purposely interact with and seek to be in relationship with. These are the ones who make my life what it is.

They don't take, they give. They don't allow mediocrity, they challenge to excellence. They don't steal our joy, they inspire.

So who influences you?