What does #betheimpact mean?

Without question – someone or something has made an impact on everyone of us! From our earliest years – each individual begins to encounter various situations and circumstances in life that work together to impact our lives and mold us into the person we’ve become today. On a regular basis, our lives are impacted by family, friends, teachers, and even random strangers who contribute to our personal life experiences and help to persuade our way of thinking and how we choose to live our lives.

 Quite often schools offer special programs designed to impact their students, encouraging them to “Say NO to Drugs”, “Don’t Be a Bully”, “Follow Your Dreams”, etc. #betheimpact is a combination of all of those encouragement programs, themes, and messages rolled into one idea – one thought – one action – one movement – one impact!

 The history books tell us of great individuals who sought to make an impact on life; who have made a significant difference in the world. From the youthful singer who shook his hips and played his guitar to the Civil Rights leader who “had a dream”; from the young woman who refused to change her seat to the athlete that appeared to fly when given a leather ball. Those individuals have all made an impact on how we live our lives today. It only takes one person doing one thing to make an impact. The definition of impact is “someone or something that influences or causes a change in something”.

 And so, the definition of #betheimpact, is: #bethe “someone or something that influences or causes a change in something”! So the question becomes: “What can I do to BE that change?” Let’s break it down by using each letter (IMPACT) in an acrostic:

I– Impress. As you grow and develop, you learn to walk, talk, and behave properly. Someone or something impresses that knowledge upon you. And as you mature and become more independent you begin to become an individual who can and does have an impact on others! No matter where you go in life, someone will be watching you. Think of life as being like a walk on the beach; every day you leave imprints in the sand. What type of impression do you want to leave? Is it something you would be proud of? People see the impressions that you leave, and there will be those who seek to follow in your footsteps! There are certainly those times in which you are following in the footsteps of another who has impacted your life. If you can see where those footsteps lead, you need to be sure that’s the path you want to follow! And you will want to be certain that the impression you have left with others is a good one as well! You may very well leave a lasting impression on others that will greatly impact their lives for the good!

M– Motivate. Everyone likes to be told that they are doing a good job! What motivates you to work harder to give a project your best effort? Discover what motivates you and seek to give others motivation too. Words of encouragement and praise are two of the easiest ways to motivate someone. Certainly, a reward or prize can be a strong motivational tool. Some are motivated by inspiring quotes or songs. One of the main purposes for cheerleaders is to help motivate their team! Become a cheerleader! Cheer for others and cheer for yourself. Be proud of yourself!

P– Positive. Be positive! The power of a positive attitude goes a long way! Those with positive attitudes draw others to themselves like a magnet. Seek to possess a healthy, positive self-esteem, being positive about yourself and especially about others! You have heard the expression “sticks and stones may break my bones – but words will never hurt me.” That’s not true! Words can hurt! “Sticks and stones may break my bones – but words can break my heart!” Negative words can hurt deeper than you realize. With the development of new social networks, such as facebook and twitter, it has become easier to publicly express negative, hurtful feelings about someone. Unfortunately, this negative harassment (digital bulling) has hurt some individuals so severely that it has pushed them to commit suicide. Being positive and eliminating negativity will make you happy. You will find it true in life that those who are happy and possess a strong positive attitude end up living a healthier life! Happy people are sick less often, are less stressed, and have a healthier immune system.

A– Achieve. Why are you here? What purpose do you serve? Set some goals … dream some dreams … be someone who leaves an impact! You may not know exactly what you want to be or do when you grow up, but while you figure that out – set goals and try to achieve them. There is a great feeling of accomplishment when you achieve your goals – no matter how big or small they may be – as you work towards something that gives you purpose. If you’re a dreamer, chase those dreams. People who enjoy their jobs are more happy and successful in their jobs. And it becomes contagious! When you’re successful, it helps others be successful! Every chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

C– Courage. Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. “Physical courage” is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, death, or threat of death; while “moral courage” is the ability to act rightly in the face of opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement. Always seek to do the right thing! The history books will one day tell what you either stood for or fell for! Have the courage to stand up for what is right. Be the one that takes the stand. Muster the courage to say NO to those negative influences and BE the impact for good in your life and in the life of others!

T– Together. Know this – you are not alone! During your journey through life there are many people that will be here to help you along: parents, friends, teachers, co-workers, public service workers – they are all here to help you. No matter what the task is! The ancient pyramids were not built by just one person. The Beatles were more than just Paul McCartney. You’ve heard the expression: “There is no ‘I’ in team”. During every post game interview, athletes don’t talk about how they were the only player on a team. The Super Bowl is never won singlehandedly. Working together builds better results and always makes things easier. Working together takes commitment, having each other’s back and being there when you need one another. Together, we can #betheimpact!