We impact people around us all the time. We impact them whether we are trying or not. We impact people by the things we say and by the things we don’t say, the things we do and the things we don’t do. We even impact people by the way we show up or by the way we don’t show up.
There are basically four types of people when it comes to impact. I developed the impact matrix to show those types.
Negative/On Accident
These people are basically sleep walking through life. Their minds are focused on needing to mow the lawn, some bills that are late, going out on Friday night, who’s winning on American Idol, playing Candy Crush Saga and checking in on Facebook. They are not thinking about how they are impacting people. Most of their negative impact is on accident, and they’re just not aware of it.
With the many distractions today’s busy life offers, the vast majority of people fall in this category.
Negative/On Purpose
These people are just mean. They hurt people because they want other people to hurt.
Fortunately, there aren’t too many of these people.
Positive/On Accident
They weren’t trying but they had a positive and deep impact on someone else. Since they weren’t trying, they’re pretty surprised.
It almost always takes deliberate effort to really impact people at a deep level in a positive way, so these people are pretty rare.
Positive/On Purpose
These people deliberately seek to be a benefit to other people. They impact the lives of other people in a way that’s deep and meaningful and lasts. As a result, they enjoy a meaningful life and deep satisfaction.
Our goal is to move more and more people to this quadrant of the matrix.
So, where are you in this matrix? Are you clear about what positive impact you want your life to have? Are you aware of how you are impacting people around you?
Here is a profound thought: you are having an accidental negative impact if you are choosing to hold back, play small and not have the positive impact you are capable of having. There are people who need you to step up. In a sense, you are harming them by not doing what you are uniquely wired to do.
Take a stand for yourself and for the positive impact you can have.
