Point to Ponder:
Is what you are saying and doing consistent with who you want to be and the impact you want to have?
I bet you are curious where this journal is going??? I gotta tell you, I am so pumped about this image and the message behind it. It goes like this: Last week, iGnite San Diego member, Erinn Hanson, sent this picture of Barbie, perfectly planking. Of course, she didn't strip Barbie down and put her in a plank, but one of her daughters did! Here's what I love about it:
1. Positive Role-Modeling: For almost two years, her young and impressionable daughters have watched her iGnite. They watch her sprint, jump, lift, down-dog, press, slam, laugh, burpee, stretch, squat, lunge, and plank. They see her commit to doing something healthy, positive, awesome and necessary for herself...day, after day, after day. And now, Barbie is planking, which, because it was a five-year old playing with Barbie, it beats the heck out of naked Barbie hugging it up with naked Ken. Instead, Barbie is exercising and getting strong. How cool is that!?!?
2. Self-Confidence: This thought may be completely off, but I love that Barbie is planking naked! I'm for darn sure not confident enough to plank naked and while I definitely believe modesty is a good thing, I love that Barbie is confident enough to bust out a nude plank...and in the eyes of the five year old who undressed Barbie and put her in her plank, God bless her because that's amazing! What I'd give to be as unaware, unashamed, carefree, fearless and uninhibited as my five-year old self. That's something to aspire to..kind of like Eve, before she ate the apple and realized she was naked.
Since receiving this picture of Barbie, I've thought a lot about what my kids are learning from me. There's a part of me who cringes, like when my kids were asked what my favorite drink was and they simultaneously yelled "WINE!"...and I don't even drink that often! And then there's a part of me who gives myself a high-five. Ultimately though, it was a vivid reminder of how impressionable we all are, regardless of age.
Trends get started everyday. From fashion, fitness, career, family, sports/athletics, relationships, to what we read, what we watch, what we say, how we behave, and what we accept. Some are good and some aren't...and we learn along the way. But, what's most important is what we choose to accept, such as: what we say, what we do, how we behave, what we spend our time on and who we spend our time with. These decisions matter. It not only matters in our own life, but it matters in others lives, because everything we say and everything we do is being absorbed by someone.
While none of us are perfect, every minute of every day is an opportunity to make an impactful impression in someones life! But, because not all impact is positive, the biggest question for us all to answer is: what type of impactful impression do you want to make and leave in the lives of others, and are our current words and actions consistent with the type of impact we want to have.
Action Item
Identify:
1). One area in your life that is consistent with the positive impact you want to have.
2). One area in your life that you need to change that will allow you to have a positive impact.