Influence is a Desirable Talent

 
 

Influence is a desirable talent. It's that one thing that would pretty much solve every one of your current problems. It's your lack of influence that's the main reason for your biggest challenges - right now. You better believe it!

                     
     
 
            You wonder why I'm so focused on influence as the single most important topic? Well, let's think about influence for a moment?
 
To begin with, I believe you first need a deep conviction that “influencing others” is incredibly important to master before you make any real progress at all. (You need a strong and clear WHY, remember?) Then, and only then, will the subject really matter to you and be something you'll focus on as a separate talent one needs to develop. Ask yourself this question:
 
Is my ability to influence others really that important?
                     

For a moment, just lift your vision and view your own life in a bird's eye perspective. Consider every aspect of what you are trying to accomplish, as well as what you have tried to accomplish in the past and also what you will seek to accomplish in the future. Literally speaking, every problem, every project, every single endeavor small or great – the long and meaningful list of things you do and fill your life with... Does it not all begin and end with a relationship to at least one other person? It does, doesn't it? The relationship we have with the people around us is the very making or breaking of success – in every respect. You will have to agree!

 

Now consider every single important person in your life – see all of them in front of you – and ask yourself: Am I successfully reaching out in such a way that we are working towards mutual goals and objectives, giving me power to influence them? To the degree that you are influential, you'll be successful. To the degree that you are not, you will fail. It really is that black and white.

 

You may be thinking: “I may not be supremely influential, but I do have some influence on for instance my own daughter.” Well, then you'll succeed at least in part, but in no way will you be able to help her beyond the degree of your influence on her. Or you may say, I'm not yet interacting with and influencing the right or relevant people, but that's just another way of saying the same thing. Think about it. Be honest with yourself.

 

Success can have a wide array of definitions, but unless it somehow involves people or at least "someone else" it is has no real meaning, does it? What matters - long term - is the modeling influence you have on another person's life and actions. To learn more about influence, learn more about Passion, Connection and Intuition. which makes up the main ingredients or energies of Energation.

 
 

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Comments

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing"

Foerst det litt pedantiske:
liten stavefeil paa viktig sted: "I'm not be supremely influential" = I may not be supremely influential

Ok, enough about form, now on to content:
Your claim about influence has one vital presupposition: "Influence is a good thing because with it you can solve your own problems." I agree with the statement, although I believe further clarification is needed. According to Oscar Wilde there is no such thing as "good influence": "All influence is immoral–immoral from the scientific point of view. To influence a person is to give him one’s own soul. He does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions. His virtues are not real to him. His sins...are borrowed. He becomes an echo of some one else’s music, an actor of a part that has not been written for him." (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

What I think Wilde is really talking about is imitation, which is a distorted reaction to excessive influence. True influence would rather result in inspiration; the creation of an idea which may be prompted by someone else's thought but through synthesis becomes personal. Like the rays of sunlight, which through photosynthesis makes all life possible. Thus influence works as a magnifying glass of your personality. Is such a magnifying effect desirable? Well, it depends on your personality.

I think we can all agree that it would have been desirable for people like Hitler to have LESS, and not greater influence than he had. Was it desirable for him to have influence: absolutely, but for the millions of people negatively effected by his influence the answer would be quite different. In contrast I think we can all be thankful that people like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa were able to exert the influence they did. Their thoughts and actions have left the world a richer and better place.

Influence without morals is dangerous, but moral influence is essential for a healthy society. Influence is action to move society in a certain direction. By their nature people who seek power to abuse it will seek methods of influence without considering the moral consequences. Good people will often question their right to exert influence in society and as a consequence the wrong people often have the greatest influence to move society (some high profile politicians come to mind). They don't have to do much as long as good people don't exert any influence. They just have to use the channels they have already obtained.

So I agree: Influence is a Desirable Talent...as long as it is used for good. If most people are good your quest to help them increase their influence is an enobling and democratic one. If you are providing tools to be abused, that influence may be desirable for the individual, but bad for society.

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"An increase in influence is the one ingredient that influences life most...

...everyone wants more influence for varying reasons. They just don't know it yet.

(E. Vidar Top)

 
 
Someone once said to me: "There is no such thing as the perfect sale." I disagree. I very much disagree!

It reminds me of a conversation I had a long time ago. One of my CEO's said to me: "If the customer happily signed the contract then you've done your job. You exceeded your budget - you should be happy." But I wasn't.

On these pages I'll make it my mission to tell you what kind of sale does make me happy. I also invite you to help me get that insight - how selling should be - by telling me what you think.

Thank you for helping out ;-)

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