Consider Your Sphere of Influence
You’re awake. So why haven’t you walked off into the sunset?
I doubt there are many people who become free in the true sense of the word and then decide to abandon the rest of humanity, leaving them to fend for themselves.
At some point after awakening to deep Truths, people naturally become driven to support others in their consciousness evolution. Those who awaken to Natural Law and the nature of reality, who see beyond the veil, feel compelled by a mission to help others do the same.
You’ve learned that you can’t convince people to choose to awaken, and you know that you can’t do their work for them. But I bet you’re obsessively focused on defending the innocent and the sacred, and on making it easier for others to awaken. When we feel truly free, we’re exquisitely aware of a desire for all beings to realize their own freedom. It’s just the way it works.
So How Can You Have the Greatest Effect?
So if we all have individual missions related to helping others, won’t we do a better job when we acknowledge that others’ paths are likely to be different from our own? Doesn’t it simply make sense that you’ll have greater influence the more you become educated and attuned to others’ unique process of learning and evolving?
As an independent thinker, you probably like to focus on your outermost boundaries of knowledge and experience, the subjects you’re in the midst of exploring. (Well, at least that’s true for me!)
But somewhat separate from your own journey is the way in which you can benefit others most effectively. You know those subjects that have become second nature for you? Those could benefit a great number of people, right?
This isn’t to say that the leading edge of your process isn’t of great benefit to all. But in addition, paying attention to the wealth of knowledge and experience that you hold may help you to define your greatest sphere of influence in the world around you.
Acknowledge & Attune to Other’s Process
Sharing what you deeply understand is surely a part of your mission. But it’s only one thing you can do. You can also choose to share that information in the way that is most likely to make a difference.
How you approach new and hidden information is most assuredly different from others who could benefit from your knowledge. Your own personal journey and your healing have put you in touch with your innate curiosity, openness, skills of discernment and intellect, your intuition, and how to access sources of true guidance.
How you’ve gained your hard-earned wisdom is unique to you. Maybe you’ve had downloads and flashes of insight from spiritual experiences. Maybe you’ve spent time in an exclusive environment where the perspectives were unique and outside the collective consciousness. Maybe you tirelessly researched hidden subjects before the Internet was available.
No matter how you’ve gotten to where you are today, you can make it easier for others to learn in their own way. You can build a bridge of understanding for them.
In other words, if you’re going to stick around because you want to make a difference, it can pay to strategize how you’re likely to do so most effectively.
Prioritize
While it’s tempting to try and be all things to all people, it’s advisable to be sure you are first doing one thing well. This clarity will help you to refine and reinforce the power of your message. That means identifying where you have an opportunity to make a difference, and choosing one type of person that you’ll be sure to do a good job at reaching.
Every time you talk about reaching everyone, that you imagine changing “the world,” you should fine yourself a nickel. It’s almost impossible to reach everyone… You’re going to reach virtually no one. That’s okay. The question is: which no one? Your smallest viable audience holds you to account. It forces a focus and gives you nowhere to hide. But first, you need to choose.
– Seth Godin
Reach Across the Aisle
As you make a conscious choice of who you’re prioritizing to reach with your story, be sure to choose people who aren’t already 100% behind what you’re saying. To increase awareness, obtain justice, or create change, we must find a way to reach those who currently can’t or won’t hear what we’re saying.
Modern information delivery systems have given rise to the echo chamber experience where a person creates an environment in which they encounter only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own. This results in their existing views being reinforced while avoiding situations where various ideas are exchanged.
Of course, with the rise of trolling, personal attacks and character assassination, there is good reason for some of the choices people make about controlling their environment. Unfortunately, though, the result can become an echo chamber.
Ideally, we’re all modeling and encouraging movement beyond stagnating situations. Any effort to reach across the aisle to find common ground is an effort worthy of praise. One way you can do this is to take a moment to consider the various characteristics and belief systems of potential listeners.
Keeping these in mind may spur you to refine your messages in order to build bridges of understanding for the various listeners.
Consider a Multiplicity of Listeners
Among your many potential listeners, there may be an infinite array of characteristics, of course. Here are just a few considerations that are particularly related to how someone may hear what you have to say.
General Level of Openness
- Aware
- Curious
- Unmotivated but Neutral
- Reasonable Skepticism
- Unreasonable Skepticism, Indoctrination or Being Threatened
- Corrupt / Hostile
Knowledge of Your Subject Matter
- Very Knowledgeable
- Lacking Knowledge but Sympathetic
- Lacking Knowledge with No Interest
- Lacking Knowledge with Hostility
Sense of Innate Power
- Independently Empowered (Freedom)
- Misguided Sense of Power (Arrogant)
- Trained Powerlessness (Fear)
Speak to One Listener
Among the various folks you might encounter, it can help to picture that you’re speaking to one particular listener, someone who represents a priority you have for getting your message out. Define the listener’s characteristics and needs so that you can then focus on refining your messages to meet those needs.
Another benefit of imagining that you’re speaking to one person may be that it’s easier to keep your approach personal and thoughtful. Some truth messengers use a tone of “buck up, and learn the truth.” While everyone is free to use any tone they wish and that may be what’s needed, I propose that there are quite a lot of folks who can be best reached with a tone of respect and, as appropriate, compassion. You may wish to read up on the obstacles which might prompt ideas for ways you can be more audience-centric, including acknowledging trauma and powerlessness that they may have experienced.
But Acknowledge the Others
Although it’s helpful to imagine that you’re speaking to one listener, occasionally acknowledge other listeners.
- If you’re speaking more to the newbies, acknowledge the knowledgeable folks and explain that you’ll also be sharing more technical information a little later in the presentation.
- If you’re speaking more to the experienced folks, acknowledge the newbies and tell them where they can get more basic information on the subjects you’re addressing.
The more you can acknowledge the potential beliefs and experiences and thoughts of your audience, the more you can bring them into a strong and growing community.
Free Handout of this Material
We are happy to email you a free downloadable version of this content.
Often it will be in a PDF. Sometimes you’ll receive image JPGs. In some cases, we also have PowerPoint files that you are welcome to have if you’d like to edit the file for your own use.
To receive, please email us and specify the title of this page so we know which piece to send you.
No purchase or credit card required.
And we won’t be trying to get you to buy something because we don’t sell anything.
We will add your email address to our newsletter list unless you don’t want that. (Newsletters have no ads or solicitations… just content.)
Previously, we offered the downloads directly from the web site, but the downloads repeatedly became corrupted. As a result, we were spending an excessive amount of time re-doing them… so it seems to be a more sustainable solution is to send them via email.
For a complete list of available downloads, see here.
