Supersize Your Influence

Never underestimate your influence. And never assume your influence will land the way you intend.

My youngest daughter, now an adult, recently told me of an adventure she and her older sister embarked on when they were teens. Rebekah was still in high school; Rachel had just started college.

You remember that 2004 documentary, Super Size Me, the one that vilified fast food, particularly portion sizes? It highlighted the horrible health consequences of conspicuous consumption and, by extension, suggested no one armed with such knowledge would willingly ingest the poison.

Well, the filmmaker definitely influenced my daughters. They were so strongly influenced, they paused the rented video they were watching, made a dash to the local fast-food purveyor, and brought home the same food they were observing onscreen.

You just never know how your message will settle on your listeners.