Our Circle of Influence

Stephen Covey talks about a concept called our circle of influence. Basically, these are the things or people that we have some control over. We can think of a large circle around us-- anything within that circle is in our circle of influence, outside the circle we have no influence.

An interesting thing happens when we concentrate on the things inside our circle. The circle becomes larger, encompassing more things and people. In contrast, when we spend our time thinking and expending effort on that which is outside our circle, it becomes smaller and we can influence less.

In these tough times, I hear different people with different philosophies about what is happening. Some are complaining about the government, the economy, their boss, what is happening in Iraq, etc. Others talk about the things they have direct control over; doing a good job at their work, taking care of their family as best they can, planning for the future.

I say spending too much time worrying about that which you can not control takes time away from that which matters most. No wonder our circle of influence gets larger and smaller based on how we spend our time. If we are losing influence with someone important in our lives, maybe a shift in our thinking is the problem? Sometimes the little things ARE the big things.

Abraham Lincoln-- "Whatever you are, be a good one."