| |
Tapping
Into Circles of Influence
By Bonnie Henriksen, Life Coach,
Trainer & Group Facilitator
| |
|
|
|
In January I was invited
to talk with students in five area high schools about Circles
of Influence.
These students are involved in Youth Leadership
for Vital Communities, a program spearheaded by the
Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.
What are Circles of Influence?
How are they created?
How do we sustain them and why do we have them? |
|
| |
|
|
|
I was reminded in
preparing these presentations that as human beings, we
are social beings.
Few of us exist totally independent of other
human beings. When
we are “out there on our own,” we are not very
happy or very successful.
As humans we crave contact and welcome
interaction with other humans.
When we are challenged, working to accomplish a
big feat or struggling to pull ourselves out of a
hole, we want to ask for someone else’s advice or
helping hand. Yeah,
sometimes, some of us are too proud to think of doing
that, but really, if we are to be hugely successful,
we know we can ask for the support of others.
We especially like it when others call on us if
they are in a jam. Those people we can call on or
invite to call on us, are our circle
of influence.
Over a lifetime, our circle grows.
As many of the students said, the first tier of
their circle of influence was family members and the
circle was growing to include friends and friends’
families. You
can add teachers, neighbors, fellow church members,
colleagues at work. In small town
America
, we know we can count on and call on others in our
communities. Our
circles of influence become a huge safety net to catch
us and buoy us through many challenges and in
accomplishing our goals. |
|
| |
|
|
|
How often do we remind
one another of the support we are willing to make
available? Why
is it that as our children grow up and look toward
higher education and future employment, they aren’t
aware of the support they can access to be successful?
If you are like me, you want to see these young
people succeed and thrive. I invite you to tell them
that. At the same time, recognize that they are an
amazing resource to us in the adult community.
Young people have energy, creativity and new
vision that we forget to, or are reluctant to tap
into. If
we include them in our circles
of influence, they will contribute to our success
as much as we contribute to theirs. |
|
| |
|
|
|
The day I visited
the
Floodwood
School
, I met Susan , the editor of the Northern
Independent. We chatted about people in our
respective circles
of influence. It turned out Susan is a good friend
to a neighbor of mine.
Our common acquaintance created an immediate
trust for and interest in one another. Our circles
overlapped! I
told Susan about some people in my circle of influence
that could support her business endeavor.
She welcomed my idea of a newspaper column
written from a life coaching perspective.
One meeting.
One hour. One
conversation. Multiple
seeds were planted to help each of us grow.
Aren’t Circles of Influence amazing? |
|
| |
|
|
|
Who will you
connect with today that can influence your life in big
and small ways? |
|
| |
|
|
|
It’s nice chatting with
you. I’ll
be back next month, but if you’d like to learn more
about life coaching or visit with me about where you
can influence someone’s success, visit my website at
www.lifesongcoaching.com.
We’ll
figure it out! |
|
| |
|
|
|
.pdf
version of this article |
|
| |
|
|
| More Life
Notes on the reading page! |
Life
Notes
articles may be reproduced when
Bonnie’s byline and web contact
information are included.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
