The Art of Influence

Some of us are lucky enough to see the results of our heart’s work in our lifetime. Most though… are not, or let me say, we might not see in our lifetime, the massive affect and impression our heart left on this world. I would also say that the ‘art of influence isn’t something we think about consciously most of the time.

Elizabeth sent me a cartoon last week of a character running, with a wire suspending money in from of him, in a direction that was leading him to a grave. How sad and how true, that most of us somewhere in our lives lose the childlike love of life and end up pursuing money, for security, for family, for happiness for…

Well… you get it… it can be a trap. Though this post isn’t about that trap, it sets me in the direction I wanted to go…

As you know, I fly planes when I can. Cayden and I went for a hour this weekend. I love them, and it scares me… just like the motorcycle riding. I have a healthy dose of ‘reality’ when I fly and ride.

I listen and read a lot from other pilots, and hear about all of the things they do wrong. Fact – most pilots make 6 mistakes every time they fly. The goal is to keep those 6 things from snowballing into an event that takes you down. I was listening to a PodCast, The Stuckmicavcast –  “http://stuckmicavcast.com ” the other morning while running, and they mentioned Jimmy Doolittle.

Though some will know the name from America’s History of WWII, Doolittle made his mark in aviation long before the war. He won numerous speed records in airplanes. He set long distance records, and was the first pilot to navigate the continental United States flying under instruments alone. We take this for granted every time we get into a commercial airliner, but Doolittle helped develop and put into practice flying by instrumentation. This means, you can fly even when weather doesn’t permit you to see the horizon, or outside of the cockpit. 

Then there is the war… Jimmy Doolittle helped develop and train the men who would do the impossible. Bomb Japan. The Emperor, who was thought of a God, had promised the Japanese people that no bombs would fall on them. America was down… we took a beating at Pearl Harbor. We needed to know, and be reminded of what it means to be an American. Jimmy Doolittle did just that. He flew a medium range, size bomber (B-25) off the deck of an aircraft carrier, and bombed Japan.

This had never been done, and was never even considered… till Jimmy Doolittle put it together.

So, Jeff, why so much about Doolittle? Well, Doolittle left a mark and influence that had a national, and world reach. No matter what you say about him, you can see ‘some’ of what he did around you… because we are still here. Men and women like Jimmy Doolittle have a legacy that lasts through time.

All of this to say, “Do you think Jimmy Doolittle had this in mind when he accomplished all of this?” I really don’t know… but I do know this…

You are no different.

You are just as important.

You have the same potential…

and the best part…

You have no idea how often and how much you are used to influence those around you.

I touched on my divorce last time I wrote. It was a strategic decision after years of waiting and praying. Jimmy Doolittle once, said, “If you have to fight, start by using your head first, then the rest.” That was my motto making this decision, and in doing so, I knew I was going to loose my son at least 50% of the time. So, I go out of my way to pour as much of my heart and soul into Cayden’s life when I have him. I want him to know about life, I want him to understand happiness, love and I want him to know ‘dad’ is always available and around. I bring this up to say, this is something that I am very ‘intentional’ about… but what about those that we work with every day, those we pass on the street, those we go to church with, and those we see weekly?

Trust me, you are being watched (no not the government… well, maybe so, but not my point). Your life matters, your heartbeat matters, your words, actions, and emotions matter… even if you don’t think they do.

What if we, as fellow travelers of life, decided to think of our lives in the context of influence, and not just our own comfort/gain/agenda?  What if we choose this week, to take whatever qualities we have, and ‘let’ them be put to use for the ‘betterment’ of mankind?

This one thing I know, you are uniquely qualified to influence those around you in a way that no one else can. Why do I know this?

Because you were created…

Just for this moment….