31 Oct You Can Have a Bigger Impact than You Think
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
– Marianne Williamson
Last week I attend my very first live TEDx event in San Francisco. It’s been on my list for over a year and it massively blew away my expectations. TED is hands down one of my favorite organizations. The things they’ve taught me are priceless. I watch a Talk on my iPad almost daily on my way to the office. It’s a way to surround yourself with passionate people without even having to leave your house…
The theme of the night was Creating Your Own Government and the speakers blew my mind.
As I listened to the eight or so talented folks on stage, from every background, experience and walk of life you could imagine, one thing stuck more than anything:
The impact one person can have can be powerful beyond belief.
These people weren’t inherently famous, privileged or gifted. In fact many of their stories of living meal to meal and idea to idea were quite the opposite.
One of the men Rory Arrow, an ex British newspaper reporter, talked of his experience of having just spent every ounce and penny of his past few years creating a documentary about the work of Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Gene Sharp (more on him later). His dream of completing the documentary has come true and currently he doesn’t even have a home. He’s not exactly sure what’s next but he knows what he’s doing matters.
You can check out the film trailer here: How to Start a Revolution. It will make every hair on your body stick straight up.
Next up was Jamila Raquib, the Executive Director of the Albert Einstein Institution, the nonprofit created by Gene Sharp, the above Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, dedicated to the study and use of strategic nonviolent action in conflicts throughout the world.
Gene Sharp is over eighty years old and has dedicated the vast majority of his life to understanding the science and psychology behind nonviolent protest and the effect it can have on governments, especially dictatorships. He works in a small office with only a couple employees, one of which is Jamila. And since he’s begun his work, he’s published countless papers and books on the topic and one of them, From Dictatorship to Democracy, is in over 30 languages. People get arrested in certain countries just for having the book in their possession.
Not only are people around the world reading this book, but they are actually using his 198 ‘weapons’ for non-violent revolution to start and lead revolutions and to create change. It was the guidance behind the recent revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt and is being used all over the world as I write this.
He’s learned what works and he’s sharing it with the world. As a result the world is changing. There’s no getting around that.
You Can Have a Bigger Impact than You Think
The above are simply examples. Ones that recently struck me personally and in-person. The nature of the work these people are doing (and the many others from the event I didn’t mention) is not what I’m concerned with (although it is nothing short of magnificent). My point here is that these people, just one or two people at a time, are doing work that is educating the whole world and even overthrowing governments.
These people have created massive leverage with a single idea that they deeply believe needs to get out to the world.
They are not any different than any of us. Other than the fact that they have a burning belief. But that’s something we all have, if we take the time to identify it. That’s exactly why I created Live Off Your Passion.
Once we find that belief, anything is possible.
So often we underestimate what we’re capable of. We think that one person alone can’t make a big enough difference so why try. Then many of us don’t so much as lift a finger. If everyone thought that way, nothing meaningful would ever happen.
You are not the only one who believes what you believe.
As soon as you decide to take your dream or belief or idea seriously, you’ll start to notice there are others who believe the same. They were just waiting for someone to lead them. Once that person stands up, the support can be be massively powerful.
When people join together with similar beliefs, be it about health, government, education, you name it, magic starts to happen.
But it starts with the belief that you, your idea, can have an impact. That belief is what will get you to start. It’s what will allow you to attract your first follower. It’s what will give you the courage to pour your soul into something that matters.
I don’t care what revolution you decide to lead. All that matters is you decide to lead one. If it’s with the group of elementary school kids down the street teaching them an alternative way to learn algebra, so be it. If it’s with helping countries around the world experience freedom, that’s fine too. Or perhaps it’s changing the world be getting people to do work they LOVE, like here at Live Your Legend. Awesome.
It doesn’t matter what you do. All that matters is that you do something.
I recently recorded a 3-minute video for the Live Off Your Passion community. I think it’s pretty fitting right about now…
There is no standing still
Most people see situations as having three different options:
1. You could do something to make it better
2. You could do something to make it worse
3. You could do nothing at all
As it turns out there is no such thing as doing nothing.
In life there is no standing still. You are either heading up or heading down. Think about it. If you have a distant relationship with your spouse, what will happen if you do the exact same thing for five more years? It will be much worse. If fact you probably won’t have a spouse anymore.
If your business is only mildly profitable and you change nothing for the next five or ten years, you’ll be out of business. If you’re slightly overweight and unhealthy today, that might lead to a heart attack years down the road.
Take a few seconds to let that soak it. Read the last few sentences again.
If you’re not growing, you’re dying!
There has to be progress. Any amount of progress can make all the difference. But no progress can kill you – your dreams, your potential, you confidence, all of it.
We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. It’s time to stop selling yourself short. Because in doing so, you’re selling the world short too.
However big or small, make your impact.
—–
Image courtesy of carlo cravero
Joe @ Not Your Average Joe
Posted at 19:42h, 31 OctoberLove the video, Scott, excellent message. Yes, we all have our own little impact on the world. To try to make it bigger every day, that’s the important stuff…
Scott
Posted at 17:31h, 01 NovemberSo true. Even the tiniest improvement over yesterday can really add up. It’s the only way it does in fact…
Scott
Posted at 20:05h, 31 OctoberScott, great post. I agree, progress is key. I watched the move Shawshank Redemption this past weekend and it took “Andy” nearly 20 years to bust loose from the cell, but he was able to do it because every night he made progress by digging a little deeper through the rock. I encourage everyone to spend some time each night with their rock hammer digging towards their dreams. Eventually one day they will become reality. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to your next post.
Scott
Posted at 17:34h, 01 NovemberI love that analogy. It’s perfect. And you know why he was able to invest twenty years, every day in the vision? Because he had a bigger purpose. A bigger reason, that just day to day hammering. His Why was unbelievably powerful. We can’t forget that!
Andrea Shillington
Posted at 22:35h, 31 OctoberHi Scott,
I came across your website today, researching for examples of branding your coaching business for a talk I’m giving next week. Yours is going in the good example category! I love how your message is specific to living your legend and this blog post is spot on with your messaging. You’re clearly fulfilling you’re passion authentically, which is so awesome to see.
Discovering the impact we are intended to have in the world is where all brands should start. I’m connecting with with you stand for and how you’re communicating it.
With gratitude,
Andrea
Scott
Posted at 17:36h, 01 NovemberAwesome you stumbled our way Andrea. I hope you’ll stick around a bit! Thanks for the kind words on the brand. I can’t tell you how much thought went into Live Your Legend. Would love to see what you present if you’re comfortable sharing at some point.
Welcome to the adventure!
Inderpreet singh
Posted at 21:04h, 21 NovemberWelcome to the gang, andrea. I advice you to subscribe to the blog via e-mail, and i bet in no time you will get addicted to his posts, these posts would become a daily dose for your soul, that encourages you to live your life as a legend.
Jackie
Posted at 08:27h, 01 NovemberWell Scott: “You can make a “blogger” impact than YOU think. I enjoy reading your posts and your passion is contagious. Your sharing of ideas, info, inspiration etc. helps tremendously. I recently looked up some of those 100 best sites you sent as I am a mom of 3 teenagers and I was able to give my 18 year old son some really good info on working out ( which he does lots of) and he was interested!! We live in a pretty remote place – the Yukon, Town we live in: 400 people and 4 hours from the nearest city – being able to stay connected means a lot!
THANKS
J
Andy
Posted at 11:33h, 01 NovemberAwesome post Scott! I totally agree that having like minded people with same beliefs around your efforts to accomplish something big will be much bigger. The first step is always hardest though. Often you are alone and have some kind of pain or unhappiness that drives you to take action. The journey you take forces you to change and little by little you have gathered people around that have same passion.
Often people overestimate what can be done in a year, but greatly underestimate what can be done in a few years!
Amy
Posted at 12:01h, 01 November“If you’re not growing, you’re dying”
So true! What’s the point of life if you’re not constantly learning, growing, experiencing, and changing?
This concept that one person can change the world is one that took me a while to understand and fully believe, but I truly do now. Especially in the age that we live in that allows us to affect people all across the world without even meeting them! Every one of us has this power, this opportunity to enrich the lives of those around us… and even those far from us. We all know you do, Scott! Way to lead by example!
Lori
Posted at 16:43h, 01 NovemberGreat info – so very true. We are all so much more than we give oursleves credit for.
noch
Posted at 05:16h, 02 Novemberit echos what my executive coach told me one day, he said “i believe i’m changing the world for the better” – our impact is immeasurable once we believe in ourselves
it’s very coincidental, i just wrote a post today so entitled and speakign about the same thing 🙂
noch
Rose Byrd
Posted at 13:25h, 02 NovemberI am reminded of the Kiwanis International motto, “Changing the World, One Child at a Time”. Truly, we each have infinite power to change our immediate world each moment of each day. Since we are actually already doing that by default, why not start living this power out INTENTIONALLY in such a way as to actualize our most passionate dreams?
Tarra Kathuriya
Posted at 00:10h, 03 NovemberI love the part where you say that growing is extremely important….
One of my favorite quote says and I try to live by it…
“Not progressing is regressing”.
Even 0.1%, but growth is important….as there is no stagnation….either you are progressing in life and if not then you are regressing:)
Greg
Posted at 22:02h, 06 NovemberGreat post, Scott. I too love the TEDTalks and listen to them as often as possible.
And the talks that you cite resonate particularly given the Occupy movement today and people deciding to be more pro-active about their future and the direction the country is taking and their share of the American Dream.
A timely post and thanks for sharing.
Chris @ Mindnod.com
Posted at 12:03h, 08 NovemberGreat post Scott, I’ve just started teaching and your remark about algebra resonates with me as I wanted to teach calculus in a way that makes so much more sense for the learner. I’ve always felt that it was made way too hard to understand.
Prabhu
Posted at 17:58h, 29 Novemberfor the past few days, i was confused about my life…i just read your blogs…i got some energy to do things which i am really good at…i will make some progress…Thanks for that…
Dimitri
Posted at 19:54h, 05 DecemberDear Scott,
Today, I gained an extra 2 minutes, taking a short cut to work – it involved some nifty and difficult driving, but I did it OK. So what? What difference could 2 minutes make? I decided that I would do something with the extra minutes I’d gained that would make a MASSIVE difference to my life. But what? Arriving at work early, I went on the internet, looked at Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits, immediately found a very inspiring text there, and then underneath a link to your website, which I hadn’t heard of. During the next twenty minutes (I cheated a bit), as I read through your site, I felt a definite shift in my consciousness. It was one of those moments, I realized, even at the time it was happening, when my life was about to change. So, thank you again – from the bottom of my heart.
inspiring blog posts for recovery from depression | nochnoch
Posted at 22:25h, 30 April[…] “You can have a bigger impact than you think” at Live Your […]
brand
Posted at 23:06h, 22 DecemberDiscovered your web site and decided to have a quick study, not what a normally do but nice 1. Great to see a weblog for a change that isn’t full of spam and rubbish, and really makes some sense. Anyway, great write up.
brand
Posted at 05:45h, 23 Decemberlong account you sit on
brand
Posted at 05:14h, 24 Decemberright on, great writing. I coincide on this stuff. Where is your RSS feed? I would like to subscribe.