by Kimberly Shawver

Created on: July 24, 2008

~Be careful with the choices that you make. Your influence on others is stronger than you think~

Ever wonder how big of an influence you are on others? I'm not talking about just your family or friends; I'm talking about every single person you come in contact with. Should your choices, meaning, your "personal" choices that are yours to make be thought of as not so "personal"? Yes, we're all individuals with the right to choose and make decisions as we please, yeteverything we say or do affects someone else.

It's fairly obvious that our major decisions such as where we're going to live, whether or not we attend church, how we manage our financial decisions, how we vote in elections, definitely affect others. But what about the more subtle, every day interaction with others?

For a couple of examples:

The last time you went to the grocery store, were you friendly with your cashier? Were you patient, kind and courteous to other customers in the store?

When you go out to eat, are you demanding and rude to your waiter or waitress? Are you stingy with your tips?

How are you when you drive? Do you honk your horn for every little reason, or do you try to be patient with other drivers? Do you speed ahead and cut people off or do you try to be courteous and put others first?

When was the last time you waved at your neighbor or had conversation with them?

How often do you blurt out bad words? Curse words used to be the exception in daily conversation. Now they are the conversation. People can't talk without using foul language.

Our behavior is observed always, by someone. If you have children, they are learning a pattern of behavior from you. The people you come in contact are learning a pattern of behavior from you. How you treat people will most likely be how they treat others as well. This pattern continues from person to person, from generation to generation.

Maybe your cashier was having a terribly bad day, and has a two-year old at home that she's raising by herself. Everyone else that has come through her line has either been cold, or rude and belittling. Do you think a kind word or some kind of encouragement would make her day? That maybe your uplifting comment will make her go home and hug her small child?

The waiter or waitress that you gave a big tip to just got enough money with your tip to go grocery shopping for the week. And because of your kindness, he or she has extended kindness to someone else.

You allowed someone to merge in front of you on the expressway, giving

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