The Impact Of Everyday Leadership
I was listening to a TED talk the other day on every day leadership and it reminded me of something that impacted my life forever.
Life experiences…
In September 2000, I had just gotten out of a severely abusive relationship and was attending a support group at a domestic abuse organization. I remember the first day I attended I was in denial and all I was thinking was; “this isn’t for me.” The director saw that look on my face of, “I won’t be coming back” yet made me promise I would attend at least 6 more times.
I did go back; in fact, I never missed a Wednesday for the entire year. Each week I got stronger, but it wasn’t because I vented every week, I was healing and trying to help others join me in the journey. I wanted them to feel the new-found freedom that I was experiencing.
Everyday leadership…
One night at the support group I shared how reading the Bible and other books was helping me clear the negative thoughts from my head that the abuser had put there. When I first started reading, I was living at a safe house, sleeping on an air mattress in an empty bedroom and I was such a mess from the abuse, I would read the same paragraph over several times and I still couldn’t comprehend what I read. But I promised myself I would read at least one page a day. Every day, it got easier and my mind got clearer.
Each time I learned something that helped me, I would share it with the group and encourage them to put these things into practice. For instance…having a 90 day contract with themselves to not have any contact with their abuser. No emails, no phone calls, no visiting, no sex. It would bother me when some of the people came and all they wanted to do was complain. They didn’t seem interested in growing or healing, they just seemed stuck in that “victim mentality” state, and they would try to discourage anyone else in growing too. So I wasn’t even sure if anyone was taking my advice to heart.
The impact revealed…
Fast forward three years…I am now a “High Impact Speaker,” and I am assisting abuse organizations to help raise awareness and money to people in need.
While attending a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility at one of the centers, the director brought someone over and started to introduce us. The lady she had brought over to introduce to me, who I did not recognize, cut her off and said, ”I know Pam. I used to come to support group 3 years ago just to listen to her talk.” She then proceeded to tell me in detail of the night I had encouraged everyone to start reading to heal. She said she started reading that night.
She told me she felt that my inspiration and suggesting the Bible and other books saved her life. Her ex-husband was physically abusive, and she feared that if she had stayed, he would’ve killed her. She was now divorced, had remarried, was in the process of adopting their second child and wanted to volunteer at the abuse center, hoping to also make an impact on others like she said I did for her.
She truly blessed my life that day and she made an impact on me that will last forever. It proved to me that a simple act of kindness can change a person’s life forever.
Be a leader…
People seem afraid to think of themselves as leaders, and yet, if you were born, you were put here to help others. It could be as simple as a few caring words, a simple smile, a hug, or a book referral. Most of the time we will never know what the impact was. But sometimes…God will bless you and allow you to see or hear just how important you were to that one person.
Let me ask you this…
Do you realize by helping others you are leading? Have you done something and had the blessing of hearing how you impacted someone’s life? How did that change the way you look at random acts of kindness? I would love to hear about it.
Here is the TED talk I was listening to. I know you’ll enjoy it like I did.
Essential Oil Choice…
Highest Potential – This essential oil blend is uplifing and inspiring, while promoting feelings of stability, empowerment and peace. It’s one of my daily favorites. How to use – Diffuse into the air with a cold air diffuser or apply Topically to heart/forehead/temples and inhale deeply.
