The One Internal Question That Could Change Everyone’s Day
Life is just so easy to be about self. And in many ways there are certain areas that only you can and should do.
Nutrition and Fitness under Be Physically Better are areas nobody else can do but you.
Planning and Productivity under Be Professionally Better are also areas nobody else can do for you within your day.
But your Purpose under Be Personally Better affects so many other people or at least it should. It’s designed to be bigger than yourself.
The aim of this post is to have you ask a powerful question at the end of the day to measure if you were “others-focused” today.
It’s a simple question to ask and an incredibly difficult question to actually do. At first.
In the beginning it will feel awkward and even foreign and that’s assuming you even remember to ask the question throughout the day so you can answer the question successfully at the end of the day.
Here’s the Night Closing Question:
How Did I Encourage, Serve, and Influence Those Around Me Today?
Did you catch the simplicity in the ask yet difficulty in the do of the question?
There are four parts to this question and each one looks different. Let’s analyze the question:
How Did I Encourage?
This focus is our words.
I believe we minimize the power of our words.
We use them all of the time. Many are neutral. Some are even negative or destructive.
But how many of your words are encouraging others?
I love the encourager. I can be around them all day. Why? Their words bring me life and hope.
You have absolutely no control if someone encourages you. But you have complete control how you use your words to others.
What if you became that person in someone’s life each day?
You could do this by leaving a voice mail knowing they won’t answer their phone but can listen to the message over and over. You could send an email or text.
You could even write a hand-written note (I know, old-school).
The point is looking for opportunities within your day to encourage others with your words.
How Did I Serve?
This focus is our actions.
If we were honest, many of us live selfish lives. It’s the “what’s in it for me?” attitude and is so normal in everyday life.
Michael Hyatt once said, “People’s favorite radio station is WIFM (what’s in it for me?). Sad but true.
In fact we’re all in favor about serving: being served. At a restaurant. At a hotel.
Why? Because someone is doing something for us.
But what if you chose to find one person a day to serve in some small way?
It’s so special when someone serves us unexpectedly.
I’ve chosen to focus on serving one person at home and one person at work per day when possible. Something small but something noticeable and meaningful.
I can serve my wife by doing little things that mean a lot to her. Helping with laundry. Helping with dinner. Cleaning up the kitchen or getting the kids ready.
I can serve a co-worker by volunteering to carry their bags at the airport, getting their door, bringing them a drink, or doing a small favor for them that makes their day easier.
There are SO many ways to serve someone that brings joy to their day.
I’ve learned how quickly and easily they appear when I simply LOOK for the chance.
The point is looking for opportunities within your day to serve others with your actions.
How Did I Influence?
This focus is our example.
Influence could be in our behavior. People are influenced by watching what we do and are influenced to consider doing the same.
Influence is also in our challenges. I love to challenge another person to really think about and change an area of their life they want and need to improve.
It’s looking for moments to breath into another’s life wanting the very best for them.
Influence may come in living a life that others can watch and follow to inspire them to grow personally.
It may start with an encouraging word when seeing them do something positive (reading a book, losing weight, etc). And then seeking to inspire them with your influence to keep going.
You may offer some suggestions that motivate others in their current season of life.
Influence is also telling your story. How have you grown in an area? When people have heard I’ve lost 40 pounds before or read 2-3 books a month, it influences them to the positive. But they must hear the story.
The point is looking for opportunities within your day to influence others with your example.
Those Around Me Today…
This focus is our surroundings.
Any given day you may be around somebody different or even new.
I meet a ton of new people any given week with my work because I travel. It could be at the airport, on a flight, at a business meeting or dinner, etc.
Or it may be someone we see every single day and we rarely do something, anything for them with our words, actions, or example. Change that today.
You can encourage, serve, and influence the easiest those right around you because it becomes all the more personal.
And today is a sense of urgency. You may have a unique opportunity to encourage, serve, or influence someone unexpected or in an unexpected way.
But you must be looking for it and ready to act. Today.
Closing Challenge…
The question, “How Did I Encourage, Serve, and Influence Those Around Me Today?” is meant to be asked at the end of the day in a time of reflection.
But it’s also to asked throughout the day by looking for opportunities to encourage, serve, and influence. Only then can you answer each area with the results you ultimately desire.
You will begin to train yourself to look for opportunities to encourage with your words, serve with your actions, and influence with your example.
I challenge you to begin asking this question. I started by putting it on a 3×5 card in a few different places so I would remember to ask myself the question throughout the day.
It’s SO worth it and it’s given my life SO much more purpose by becoming “others-focused.”
Are you ready to begin using the one personal question that could change everyone’s day? I say, bring it on!
Closing Question…
What would happen to my life and those around me if I asked this question everyday?
Leave a Reply