We Are All Connected

We are all connected.

It's the reason a tiny virus was able to traverse the entire globe within a few months. It's the reason programs like Zoom have soared in popularity since March 2020—so we can keep that connection, at least virtually.

I've been thinking a lot about influence lately, specifically my own desire to have an impact on the world. I'm sure I'm not the only one to ponder their place in the world—to long to make some lasting difference in the lives of others.

Yet when I read the biographies of influential people—whether they be politicians or prophets, authors or artists—I end up thinking, "Will I ever amount to anything like that? Will I actually leave a mark on the world?"

Thankfully, as I've continued to read about such incredible people, I've realized a simple yet profound truth: that behind every single influential person there stands an army of influencers. Parents who, at the very least, brought them into the world and, more likely, sacrificed greatly in order to nurture and provide for them. Teachers who imparted knowledge and wisdom. Siblings, friends, neighbors, colleagues, mentors, and on and on, each leaving their indelible imprint. And they too were backed by their own armies of influencers.

Because of this, I no longer believe that greatness is defined by how many people know of you, how high you climb the ladder of fame, or how many books will eventually be written about you. I believe greatness is defined by following God's plan for you and doing your best in your own sphere of influence—no matter how big or small that sphere is.

For who is more important, influential, and honorable?—the doctor performing surgery with an array of intricate medical supplies, or the truck driver who delivered those medical supplies to the hospital? The nurse who is caring for dozens of covid patients, or the janitor who is constantly disinfecting room after room?

There are very few people who influence the whole world. But all of us influence some part of the world, so TOGETHER we can influence all of it. Just as the coronavirus is invisible to the naked eye, our influence goes mostly unseen, but I truly believe that, over time, it too can traverse the entire globe.