Influence, Much?
Everyone knows the power of the influencer these days.
Have you recently bought some organic shampoo because your friend sent you a link featuring the best coconut oil hair treatment she has ever used?
Yep.
You were influenced.
With social media, folks are using their opinions, talents, experience, and relationships to shape our culture. They promote everything from wellness to hot rod design.
As of 2022, Earthweb says, “…that there are between 3.2 million and 37.8 million influencers in the world, who are on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.”
While “influencing” has become synonymous with videos and posts,
you don’t have to have a million followers to have influence.
In fact, if you are a human being (which you are), you are an influencer!
Sociologists say that the average person (even an introvert) influences 10,000 people in their lifetime?
Amazing, right?
Source
Another amazing thing? Kids all over this country are learning about being generous with their influence in our Generous Classroom program.
They are learning that influence is the powerful or invisible action of a person that causes an affect on you.
You may be wondering…what does being generous with my influence look like?
Do you know some people?
Great!
Do you have an idea about how to uplift those people?
Even greater!
You don’t have to go viral to share the goodness in your life.
You can use your everyday connections to unleash hope in the world.
Getting generous with your influence is powerful stuff.
Generosity Can Be Your Superpower
Every one of us has different talents and abilities, unique work environments, and different social networks.
The best news is that being generous with our influence can flow naturally out of our passion for life.
Just ask our friend, Ethan. He traveled half-way around the world to share his love of soccer with other kids his age.
Not only did he and his family get involved in ushering in joy by providing communities with new soccer balls, he used his moxie and influence to invite businesses to get in on it too.
It’s inspiring. Just watch his story, I Like Soccer Balls.
Watching a 9-year-old find his purpose in life may spark an idea or 7 about how you can use your social network, book club, or hiking group to unleash some hope into the world around you.
What do you love doing?
Why not share that love with some folks who need it?
And then invite you friends and community to get in on the fun.
Your Sphere of Influence
Do you remember when you were a teenager and your mom kept bugging you about the friends that you were hanging out with?
Did she ask you if they were nice or if they were big bullies?
Did she encourage you to be kind and thoughtful and hang out with kids who championed the underdog?
She knew intuitively what entrepreneur Jim Rohn says,
“You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”
Who are you surrounding yourself with these days?
Are your friends innovators and givers?
Do they want to change the world with their generous ways?
How about you?
How are you impacting the folks you hang out with?
Is your kindness, your energy, and your generous living rubbing off on your friends?
When you are generous with your influence, you are using your powerful, invisible actions to affect those around you.
Unleashing hope.
Ushering in joy.
And impacting the world every single day.
We think you should use your influencing powers for good, don’t you?
Susanna Aughtmon is a gifted writer, wonderful wife, mother, daughter and friend, and a valued member of the I Like Giving team.
