What We Can Show Without Saying A Word

Have you ever watched someone handle a situation and thought, “I don't know how she does that”?

Perhaps it is the way you handle a difficult moment.  The way you walk into a room where you know no one.  The way you start something new.  The way you respond when something doesn't go to plan.

You may not think much about these things.  They are simply part of getting on with life.

But what if someone else notices?

We often think about influence as something deliberate. Something we do when we set out to help, encourage or guide another person.

But perhaps some of the things that stay with us aren't said at all.

Perhaps we remember the woman who remained calm when everything around her was falling apart.  The woman who didn't give up when something mattered to her.  The woman who was willing to admit she didn't know the answer.

The woman who walked into somewhere unfamiliar and found her place.

We may not remember exactly what she said.  We remember what we saw.

And sometimes, without realising it, what we see in another person makes us question what might be possible for ourselves.

Could I do that?  Could I try?  Could I handle that differently?  Could I walk into that room too?

Perhaps that is one of the quieter forms of influence.

Not telling someone what to do.  Not offering advice.  Not even knowing that anyone is paying attention.

Simply showing, through the way we live, that there is more than one way to navigate a moment.

And it doesn't have to be something extraordinary.  It might be the way you respond to a setback.  The way you make a decision that is right for you.  The way you keep your sense of humour when things don't go according to plan.  The way you begin again. 

You may never know who noticed.

You may never know whether something you did gave someone else a little courage, a different perspective or simply the feeling that they weren't alone.

So perhaps there is a question worth considering.

What might your example be showing someone without you ever intending to show them anything?

And perhaps another:

What have you seen another woman do that has stayed with you? 

She may never know.  But perhaps that is the ripple effect in motion.