“Today when you begin your day, ask yourself these important questions:
What influence will I have on my family and everyone else I meet?
What impression will I leave with them regarding my behavior, my manner of speech, my dignity, my honor, my respect?
What influence will my whole attitude be on them?
Will they learn from me?
Will they imitate me, or will they remember me as a distraction, as a bad influence?
We talk about example, and of course, this is one of the ultimate ways in which we act, and impress certain behavioral thoughts, words and actions on others we come in contact with. But there is an extension of example that we must always recognize as important to our way of life, and that is the influence we have on other people.
Ask yourself these questions:
Have I influenced anyone to be deceitful?
Have I influenced anyone to think impurely?
Have I influenced anyone to lie, to steal?
Have I influenced anyone to be negative?
Have I influenced anyone to accepting unsound values, unsound standards?
Did I influence anyone to be immodest?
Did I influence anyone to sin?
Did I influence anyone to be greedy?
Did I influence anyone to be lustful?
Of course there are two sides to influence, and the above are only the bleak ways to influence others.
There are many ways to influence people in a positive, sincere, happy and successful way. Naturally these are to influence sound values, sound standards, purity, decency, charity, humility, hope, understanding, love, sincerity, dignity, respect, and more Faith in God.
Do not ignore what influence you have on other people. It is an important step in striving for Sainthood. Awareness of what influence you project can give more meaning to things that you perhaps might think are not important.
Influence, when it affects the life of anyone, is important to the person and to God.”
