Have you ever had an encounter with a stranger that completely changed your day? Perhaps they gave you a compliment that raised your spirits and gave you a spring in your step. Or, on the contrary, maybe someone cut you off in traffic, and it put you in a bad mood for the rest of the afternoon. That stranger likely doesn’t even know the effect they had on you.
We each have so much more power to influence each other than we realize. This is an incredible opportunity and responsibility that we have.
Here are 3 reasons every interaction is more powerful than we know:
1. Every moment is filled with purpose. The wisdom of Kabbalah teaches that everything that happens to us throughout the day, from the person we bump into on the street to the big job promotion we get, has spiritual significance to our lives, even if we can’t see it in the moment.
We naturally attribute importance to the big life-changing moments but tend to view the smaller moments as insignificant. The truth is that there are no unimportant times. There is a reason for everything, big or small. Every person, every situation that you encounter influences you and presents an opportunity for you to influence the world. This could be in a positive or negative way!
By knowing this, even without knowing the effect that we are having on other people, can inspire us to live more purposeful, impactful lives. As you go through your day, remember that every moment is an opportunity to change someone’s life.
2. Wisdom can come from the least likely places when you’re open to it. We often assign the right time or place to hear something from someone. We might go to one friend for career advice, another for marriage advice, and a third for finance advice. But wisdom is everywhere and can come from everybody and every situation if we are open to it. Sometimes strangers have the power to get through to us in a way that those closest to us can’t.
Many of the important messages in life are not going to come from the places and people you assume. Unless you are open and curious about that, you are likely going to miss the message altogether. But if you live your life knowing the messages will come, then they will come, even if it’s a way you didn’t expect.
When asking for assistance or a sign, don’t try to predict or assign where it will come from. Remember, there is a force greater than you, guiding you and those around you. Be open to the messages, wherever they come from.
3. Even the smallest action can change someone’s life. We all consistently underestimate the power and influence we have over other people. It can be scary for us to embrace this power because it comes with the great responsibility to impact people in a positive way. When we don’t know or believe how powerful we are, the danger is that we become careless in the way we behave. We may not necessarily try to hurt other people, but we don’t grab opportunities to help and often don’t realize the ways we are damaging them.
You never know where the tipping scales are in a person’s life. One kind word could be all it takes to encourage a person to pursue a dream that terrifies them. Pay attention to the small influences: a smile, a door held open. The gestures mean more than we often think and are always there if you look for them. Not just the words and actions, but the gestures too. You never know if someone is going through pain and a small kindness is all it takes to turn things around. What you do or don’t do matters, and don’t be afraid to use your power. Appreciate this gift and take advantage of it as much as possible.
Being aware of the influence we have over other people can inspire us to live more purposeful lives. Every moment you can give and receive impactful, lasting Light, wisdom, and inspiration, even from the smallest things. This is the impact of all of us, the power of one person.
