You Never Know Who You’re Going To Impact 🤯

I’ve been having a great time in a coliving house in the Basque Country, learning all kinds of things from all kinds of amazing people, and one of the biggest things I’m learning is: you never know who you’re going to impact.

As part of my coliving experience I gave a talk about designing your life purpose and leaving a lasting legacy. People seemed interested, we had a good discussion about all kinds of things relating to life purpose and legacy, and I was glad I’d put myself out there.

Then, a week or so later, when half of our group were getting ready to leave, one member of the group started talking about everything he’d learnt while being at the villa. Usually one for joking around, he took a moment to ‘get serious’ and really express what this experience had meant to him.

This is a guy who’s been travelling for years and who I really look up to, and he said that my talk really got him thinking about what he’s been doing and how he wants to come up with his own life purpose so he can leave a legacy.

He said that these two weeks had been transformative for him, as my (and the other) professional events had really made him pause and think about what he was doing with his life, for the first time. And now he’s determined to do the work to figure out his life purpose.

It was a great feeling to hear how I’d impacted someone I admire and respect.

So, if you’re trying to launch a business – or get visitors to your blog, or make a difference through the content you’re posting on social media – and you’re not seeing much return from it, keep going. 

You’re probably impacting people more than you think. And you have no idea of what kind of ripple effect you could be creating with your business, your content, or just your words. 

Another thing I’m learning is to leap at any opportunity that comes your way, whether it’s something big or something small. I’m saying yes to a lot of things during this coliving experience, even if it’s something I’m not sure about, because I know that when we get outside our comfort zones, we grow and gain confidence.

They can be big, scary things, or little, fun things.

For instance, in the past couple of weeks I have:

• Given a talk and led a discussion about life purpose and legacy building
• Attended a poker night even though I’m rubbish at poker (and I managed to get a full house)
• Taken part in guided meditations and workshops about human connection
• Played darts in a sports bar even though I know I’m terrible at it (and I got better with every try)
• Taken part in an impromptu dance party in the villa’s chapel – yes, it has a chapel – and learnt dances from all over the world (wine might have been involved at this point)
• Attended all kinds of professional events and skill shares, from presentations on ethics and finding your passions, to discussions of what it means to be a digital nomad and to live as part of a global community
• Been part of a small team cooking for 15 people (and I have zero skills in the kitchen).

Some of these things were a little uncomfortable, some were a bit embarrassing (my first three darts didn’t even make it to the dart board), but they were all worth doing and I learnt something from every single thing, even the little ones.

So, I encourage you to keep putting yourself out there and doing good in the world – even if it feels like you’re not getting through to anyone – and to try something new this week, even if it’s something that seems small and/or silly. I promise you, it will be worth it.