I had a fabulous retirement celebration! I threw my own party. I invited the women who saw me through the working years. Those women who cheered me on in good times and hard. Those women who dared to ask “what are you thinking?”. Those women who helped me figure it out when I didn’t have a clue or assured me I was on the right track when I stood at a crossroads. Then, they decided to toast me, it was a bit awkward. But one thing I did learn, I really did have influence, and mostly it was good. And, because I feel it’s what God has called me to have, I reveled in that!
Are you in a position of influence? God wants you to be influential, and I hope it’s something that you will strive for. Should you try to influence your co-workers to seek a life of faith? I think you should! However, I think you must be thoughtful in the way to try to exercise your influence.
Who will influence me?
I am influenced by people who seem to respect me and treat me well. They are successfully performing the responsibilities of the workplace and often reach out to assist others with their work, they are generous with time and knowledge. They don’t grumble and complain all the time. I enjoy working with them, and spending my personal time in their company. On a personal level they probably enjoy some of the same things I do and I perceive they enjoy life. They are happy, generous, and deal well with adversity that comes along at work or in their personal lives.
Who will not influence me?
I’m not influenced by those who don’t carry their share of the load at work or who are difficult to work with. I’m not influenced by the grumpy, the mean or the complaining. I’m not influenced by someone who falls apart with every little crisis or who has a personal life in constant meltdown and I know that because it’s an excuse for why they aren’t doing well at work.
So, I believe that God has placed you in the workplace to be a positive influence. But in order to influence others you must first win their respect and live a life that looks like a life they too could enjoy living. Does this mean that you never deal with difficult things? Absolutely not! But it does mean that when difficult things come along, you handle them well. Influence takes time, you must wait for relationships to form.
For those who have struggled
A final word for those who feel they fall short. I did not influence people in my life because I lived a perfect life. What is inspirational about a life that’s storybook perfect and unattainable? Nothing, that’s what! I was not impactful in spite of my challenges and failures, I was impactful because of them. That is when people notice, when you are struggling, and then they see how you deal with the struggle or recover from the mistakes. Just so you know, I’m not letting you off the hook because you failed to live up to some mythical standard of perfection.
What are the characteristics of those whom you allow to influence you?
How do you feel about being influential?
But, in the meantime, you can help! I want to know what you need to support you as a Christian woman in the workplace. Here’s a link to a quick 5 minute survey. I’d love to hear your thoughts!