I was listening to a talk this week on Climate Change and the Conservation of the West Indian Ocean.
During question-and-answer time, a gentleman asked, is there a point to all the efforts conservationists are making, if people are going to continue polluting the waters and if climate change is beyond our control. All the panellists took a turn to answer the question, but one of the responses really stood out for me.
She said, ‘sometimes it may feel overwhelming, like everything we are doing is not enough. But she encouraged the gentleman to focus on his circle of influence. What could he do in his space to start creating the change he would like to see? She then continued to give examples of people who have created major changes in their communities and even globally by first focusing on the space they had direct access to. With commitment and continued focus, their circles of influence grew.
In his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey speaks of the Circle of Concern and the Circle of Influence. He says, when we focus solely on the Circle of Concern, we are focusing on negative thoughts and this eventually depletes our Circle of Influence. Without a doubt, the concerns are there, but instead of focusing on what you cannot do, he encourages you to focus your energy on what can you do.
As we enter the last quarter of the year 2022, you might look back and feel overwhelmed, or disappointed that you have not had the impact you wanted. Perhaps you feel that there is so little you can do to bring the change you desire. We often want to change the world, but what we need to do, is address our circle of influence, those things within our reach that we can change and impact in a positive way.
To climb a mountain, you have to take the first step, you can never climb a mountain at one go. With each step, you cover more and more distance. Don’t stop climbing your mountain. When you get tired, stop, take a rest, but get up again and continue and you will soon see a positive change in your circle of influence.
