Rippling Effect to Others :: Positively Impacting Some, Encouraging the Worst in Others

In addition to the effects I described this post, another aspect of the Ripple Effect is the potential to affect those around you.  When I first started Weight Watchers I was really excited (in a way that surprised me).  I’d come out of meetings** with all these great stories / experiences shared by others that were 2 things: 1) highly motivational, and 2) extremely practical [members share tips of what has helped them – it’s amazing how you can know something, but when you hear someone’s experience (how they benefit or implemented a new technique), it can be the impetus for change].  I would read through the entire ‘Weekly’ (the publication WW provides at the meetings) on my train ride home, and suck up more ideas and inspiration.

My excitement wore off on my husband.  I seriously was just excited to share the stories with someone who would listen and act interested!!  After several weeks, on his own accord, the hubs decided to join WW himself!  Of course, he is an ‘online’ member (meetings would not be ‘his thing’), but he has learned an incredible amount through the process.

[**A Note about the WW Meetings: My regular meeting is in downtown Boston.  My original leader (the person who leads the meeting is constant from week to week), and my current leader, are both awesome.  They are funny, inspirational, and relatable.  Since I have been in the WW scene since 2012, I have been to meetings all over the place (in other states, and out here in my local burbs).  I have found the meetings in cities (downtown NY and downtown Chicago) to be very similar to my Boston meeting.  The women members are engaged and relatable (to me, anyway).  The Leaders in the city meetings have also been awesome.  When I’ve done local burbs, the meetings are much less engaging.  It could be that I have little in common with most of the women in the room – I don’t know – but I’ve heard this from other members… even the leaders don’t seem as good to me.  In any case, my great experience, might not be one you’ve experienced.  My advice: shop around.]

It’s awesome to positively influence others.  It’s awesome when, by going about your own business of working to be your best you, others are compelled to move towards whatever their *best* is as well.

This knowledge compels me to want to be around people who are also striving to be the best version of themselves.  I know their excitement and momentum – for life, projects, whatever – will “where off” on me.  Conversely, I happen to be over-sensitive to those who might actually ‘resent’ me because of my desire to work towards bettering myself. And because I can’t just avoid every single person who might send a negative vibe, I am choosy about how and where I express my passions!

There are a ton of great quotes about this sad reflection of the human spirit, but this one from Mark Twain is especially encouraging:

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain

If there is some change you are attempting, and you have negative naysayers in your backyard, I STRONGLY encourage limiting how much you ‘expose’ your new passion, activity – whatever it is your are attempting to change.  In early stages, as you adopt new patterns and you experiment with what works in your unique circumstances you are likely to be more vulnerable to perceived ‘attack.’  For the naysayers, save sharing with them until you have time, experience, and prolonged success more fully established; when your confidence and the display of your results will shield you better!

And as you practice your new patterns, you WILL draw the *right* people towards you. It’s an incredible gift to be the recipient of support and encouragement of your *BEST* you! It’s equally remarkable to be the giver of such support!

In what ways have your best efforts positively impacted those around you?  How have you supported those around you, even when you weren’t completely sure you understood their quest?  Who has always been your greatest ally?  Have you ever been surprised by who supported you and who didn’t?

This ‘story’ continues here…

You can sign up to subscribe to my blog my clicking Home, look to the right column, and scroll down a bit (under the Archives listing).  And/or, like my page on FB.

Linda Stacy, Productivity Speaker, Writer, and Coach, inspires her clients to achieve increased fulfillment, engagement, and success by way of energy management and the *brass tacks* of healthy, efficient productivity and time management.

<Image is book cover mock-up; VERY exciting!>