We often don’t know how big our impact is in the world. Many of us want to leave a legacy and its something we may think about during challenging times or we may ask those ready to die what they want their legacy to be.
But what about the legacy we leave each day? The imprint we have on the environment and the lives we touch in one single, ordinay day is important. I often feel like I have a tug boat attached to my heart that pulls me in the direction of giving, serving and helping. I want to touch lives, I want to better them, I want to heal the Planet. Its just part of my nature and sometimes it feels like a gift and other times like a curse because I come against my human limits.
I often say or do things and have no idea if people are even listening or caring and then months later someone will tell me that my words are ringing in their ears or they hear my voice when they are about to make a decision. I smile when I heard this because it means that something I’m doing is working and all I want is to create real value for people and make the world a better place.
Recently, I received another outer validation as well. On my birthday my brother gave me a very fun wall sign that says “Don’t Forget To Be Awesome Today” and I literally had no wall space left in my small one bedroom but my front door needed some decoration. I figured every day I saw it when I locked up I would feel powerful and be reminded to create AWE wherever I go. I have to admit that some days I love it, some days it annoys me, and other days I ignore it but I'm glad its there as a reminder.
One day I went out to throw trash away and a guy who I had never seen before walked by and said, "hey I love your door sign."
--I said “aw, thanks it was a fun gift."
--He said “well I see it every day before I go to work and I do my best to live by it now”.
I just smiled, the kind of smile that starts on the inside and build outwards. I was screaming YES silently and fist pumping! This is what I live for, this is all I want: to touch someone in this way so that he or she may go out and touch someone in their special way and the pebble in the pond creates ripples of impact and kindness.
The signs are everywhere and our actions really do matter. What can you do today to spread the good?
Thanks for reading, caring and sharing,
Kate Neligan
P.S. After I wrote this but before I posted it, my publisher sent me the blog post her staff wrote about me for Women's History Month and it was entitled "The Beautiful Waves of Kate Neligan" and I laughed. This was another example that yes, we are making a difference and I am both a drop of water and the wave.
