It’s amazing to me how the fruit that is created from our words can be something we might never see.
For example, when I was 18, I was among a group of roughly 6-8 teenagers who all gave heartfelt speeches to a large group about how a program we had been a part of for the previous 9-10 years had greatly influenced our lives and grown us over the course of those years.
My personal intention was to encourage, inspire, and hopefully make a difference in even one person.
Those that gathered dispersed that night with very little fanfare surrounding our comments because of other events that filled our schedule and to be honest, I completely forgot about what I had spoken.
Two years later, I ran across one of the attendees who was there the evening of our speeches, that was part of the same program during that time.
We stopped to speak and briefly catch up on life and to my shock and amazement, here’s what she interjected into our conversation – “Do you remember the speech you gave about not quitting and persevering through?”
“Oh yeah,” I replied.
“Well, that year I was going to quit and not finish my years of eligibility. But after I heard you speak that night, I decided to stick it out. I did and it was worth it so I wanted to tell you, thank you.”
Did I ever picture her in my mind when I was speaking that she would be the one those words got through to? No.
Did I even have a clue that of all the people, she would be the example that spoke up about how those words impacted her life? Not really.
I’m not sure how many people were impacted overall and maybe it was just her. But what happened that night was exactly why no matter how we perceive our contribution to others, we still need to bring what we have to the table.
I can’t tell you how many times the feeling of not making a difference in what I’m doing rears its ugly head in an attempt to get me to stop.
Regardless of how many or how few people we reach, we still need to operate in the gifts we are blessed with and the purpose we’re called to.
I know there will be times when it seems like no one cares, no one is listening, and no one will respond. I know this feeling because I have children and that’s, unfortunately, a part of the process of raising kids.
I think we often feel this way because we like to see and even expect immediate results. It’s not all our fault because our culture has conditioned us to operate like this.
We have to push past that and even when we don’t see an instant return on our investment of time and our craft, we have to keep showing up.
True passion in what we’re doing means that we have a bigger purpose than ourselves, it’s our “why”.
True passion in what we’re doing means that we have a bigger purpose than ourselves, it’s our “why”. Click To Tweet
When we’re in it for a greater reason than our own success, we desire to know how we’ve helped someone along the way.
When you approach it that way, don’t get discouraged when it takes longer than anticipated for someone to respond to you. If you keep plugging away, eventually it’ll happen and it’ll be worth it.
This is a part of leaving the “what if” behind and pursuing your calling. Are you ready?
What about your experiences? Have you seen a delayed impact on what you’re doing? Share your story below!
