Be authentic…
Does that spark any thoughts in you mind?
Well, It is 2am and I am sitting in my bed typing this. I wanted to make sure that I discussed it while it was fresh on my mind.
We all have a message.
We all have influence.
Some of us feel that we are less heard than others, so we begin to reach out for a bigger platform that will afford us the opportunity to get out message out to a larger audience. Yet, many times, we never stop to think about when we will be satisfied with the size or magnitude of our platform. When will you be satisfied with the size of your audience?
Have you realize that your message has the power to change someone’s life?
If you focus on the size of your audience, you may never say what you need to say to change the life of that one person. Yes, one person matters.
Will you be happy if your message changes 500,000, 100,000, or 5,000 lives? How about 500? What about 100? What if your message reached 50 people and their lives were changed? What if you message reached 5 people? Would you be happy that those 5 people were always attentively listening to your message? What if the message that you shared changed the lives of those 5 and then they, in turn, had an impact on their sphere of the world?
Ironically, my family has 5 of the members, besides myself, in it. Years ago, I told the Lord that I wanted to change the world…He gave me my family. My role as a wife and mother has become the most important role in my life outside of being a child of God. I have come to realize that nothing else can be placed above these two God-given roles.
Now although I am a wife and mother, I am also a writer. I have come to learn that I must know my audience. When I am talking to my family, they are my audience. My message is for them. However, when I am writing, my message is for a specific, God-given audience.
I believe that we have to understand and appreciate the fact that God has given all of us an audience. Whatever it is that you do, you sphere of influence is God-given. You don’t have to change your message in order to attract your audience. Share the message that God gave you and watch those within your sphere of influence; receive a major impact in the way that God ordained.
Stop focusing on the numbers. Stop thinking that no one is listening. Those are all distractions.
When you are at home cooking dinner for you family, the message is clear…you care for them. They hear you say, “You are worth of my time.”
When you take the time to help your children with homework or to, simply, hug them…you are sharing your message. They hear you say, “I love you. You are valuable to me.”
When you listen to your husband talk about his day…you’re listening. He hears you say, “You are interesting and your story matters.”
If you are a blogger, like me, and you take the time to share a message with your audience…you are investing. They hear you say, “Your life matters and I am honored to share my message with you.”
We all have to realize that our message is bigger than ourselves. Whether the listener responds in a way that communicates what we are expecting or not, we have to understand the potential for our message to reach their hearts and to inspire them.
The numbers don’t matter.
I understand the statistic. “If you have a larger number of people in your audience, the greater amount of people who might hear your message.” Yet, you are focusing on the numbers, not the message.
Let me give you a different statistic. If you have a larger number of people in your audience, the greater number of people who may possibly encounter your message, but they might not be listening. Yet, if you focus on the quality of your message and know your audience, regardless of the numbers, someone will most likely listen and be greatly impacted.
What I am trying to tell you is that focusing on the numbers causes us not to be authentic because we are willing to do whatever is necessary to get our numbers up. We become blinded by the numbers and unable to see all of the people who God has placed in our lives, who are actually listening.
However, when we focus in on the quality of the message and share what God has placed in our hearts, the lives that He has foreordained, are changed…
Don’t change your message to make people listen. Share your real message and the people who are supposed to hear it, will listen.
All of this is a choice. Just give it a thought and be authentic…
