Make a pact with yourself and time to make an Impact.

I was talking to my good friend Jacqui when these statements just popped out of me during our insightful conversation:

"We shouldn't leave this planet like we leave a casino - made some money, lost some, met some interesting people, had a good time for sure, bye bye".

This blog is a further reflection of those statements. It is well-known and proven time and again that individuals who make an Impact get recognized as heroes. CEOs who constantly innovate and take their companies to new heights (e.g. Steve Jobs - RIP), Social entrepreneurs who come up with new models for empowering millions of people (e.g. Mohammed Yunus), Leaders who work tirelessly to bring freedom and social justice (e.g. Gandhi, Mandela - RIP), Teachers who inspire students to learn and Doctors/Scientists who develop new cures to alleviate human suffering (e.g. millions of such individuals around the world). In all these cases, the individual's actions have left permanent footprints on people and society.

‍What kind of footprints do we want to leave behind? Those left on a sandy beach can get eroded easily by wind or waves washing ashore. Those left on 'settling concrete' are likely to stay much longer. In my opinion, every aspiration, ambition, and goal in a person's mind is analogous to 'settling concrete.' They must be noticed, attended to, and nurtured at the right time. We all have the power to do so by being passionate and caring Mentors. I believe and have experienced it time and again personally, that we know more than what we think we do (of course, there are some people who think they know more than they actually do and that is a topic for discussion at a later time, not here!!!). Many a time, lessons you have learned from your life/career experiences, stories you have heard, challenges you have faced and creative solutions you came up with - all of this go into an archive someplace, and you always don't know they are there. They tend to surface and flow like a river when someone (Mentee) approaches you with a question or comes to seek your insights on a challenge they are facing. What that context brings out your innate wisdom and insights, and the Mentee learns exactly what to do and overcomes the challenge, believe me, you have made an Impact - a lasting one at that.

So, make a pact today with yourself and time (that is ticking away non-stop) that you will make an impact on as many people as you can by sharing your expertise as a Mentor. The Impact you will see yourself making will be very satisfying and rewarding. Be a Mentor and Connect with a Mentee, today, and begin the process of Impacting. The clock is ticking....and hundreds of millions of aspiring individuals are out there wanting and waiting to learn from you and achieve their full potential. They can be within your own organization so reach out and make your intent to help known, so they can find you.