Name:
Influence and Change
Today, I had an epiphany. I OPENED my eyes, I OPENED my mind, and I came to a reality. It is better to influence things than to change them. I had to first look at the meanings of influence and change.
in·flu·ence
A power affecting a person, thing, or course of events, especially one that operates without any direct or apparent effort.
change
To cause to be different
To give a completely different form or appearance to; transform
I told Michael today, “Change the world one mind at a time. Allow those changed to be your catalyst.” I realized later, I was wrong. People should not set out to change anyone. When we try and change someone, we are basically telling them they are not WHO they should be. They are not DOING something right. They are not COMPLETE.
Where they may not be any of those things, it is best to allow them to realize those things by influence. I am usually met with hostility and resentment. Sometimes it takes leading by example, sometimes by showing how things have worked for you, or how you did something…and that points out no flaw or short-comings. It is opening the mind to change itself.
I realized that we have been influencing the property here. Michael and I have done what I thought was a lot of changes. Cleaning up debris, putting in raised beds, planting onions, rosemary, salad greens…but we haven’t CHANGED anything. We have only influenced the land. It has accepted the things we influenced it with, and changed because it wanted to. Water that used to rush across the drive creating deeper ruts, has become receptive and now the water flows gracefully over the filler put in, not taking it away. The tilled earth has decided grass should not grow back as fast, because it rather likes the feel of the just plowed look.
The land is changing itself. We are the catalyst through influence.
The wild blue Phlox planted just a week ago didn’t die. It was influenced and the land was influence and through their collaboration, decided they would change and become one. And for many years to come, the phlox will be there in the spring, to be admired and and appreciated both for its beauty and fragrance.
I don’t want to change the world, I only want to influence it. I will influence others and they may (or may not) change. Through their growth they will influence the world. My reward will be a changed world and knowing that I had an influence.
