Joining the Five Minute Friday writing prompt challenge as part of my goal to write and publish once a week in 2019. Find out more here.
Influence – it could be used for good or ill. Mine or another’s. But in general, when I think of the influence others have had on me, it is generally for the good. I have been blessed with many mentors along my journey. It is true what they say – when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. That has been pretty true throughout my life. And it certainly has made all the difference — without them, I would not have been able to navigate the murky waters of a dysfunctional family system as well as I have.
And mentors continue to pop up along the way, because I am always learning new things about myself and the world around me.
But what of my influence on others? For surely, as we receive, we should give back. I suppose it could be through my writing and social media posting. I have no way to measure the influence I have on others – tangibly – unless they tell me. Which then makes me wonder whether any of my mentors know how much they have influenced me? How much they saved my sanity – both as a child, a teenager, and an adult? I’m sure I’ve said it many times to some of them – words of affirmation is one of my spoken love languages.
Still, it would be good to write to them and let them know.