I don’t remember exactly when I first heard the word “influencer” to describe a job title. When I was a kid, we had two kinds of influencers, good and bad. It certainly was not something you’d see on anyone’s business card.

Today though, an influencer is someone who is skilled at promoting certain products or brands, like testing the latest smartphone, trying on the hottest new fashion item, or demonstrating a new kitchen gadget.

Influencers create and share content on social media and elsewhere, and in some cases they become even more popular than the products and companies they review.

And yes, it’s a real job.

Surprisingly maybe, some influencers make millions of dollars “influencing” their viewers on what products are hot and which are not.

Now being on the “south side of middle age” as my grandpa used to say, it’s easy for people like me to be a little dismissive of young influencers putting out unboxing videos of a new laptop or a review of a fancy pair of name-brand shoes.

On the surface, an influencer might just look like an advertising tool for companies to advertise their products. But if you look a little deeper, you can see that the potential role of an influencer can be quite a valuable one when done properly.

You see, influencers don’t just advertise, they build relationships, at least in a virtual sense. They come with their own personalities, their own approach to content creation, and usually heaps of personal style.

This earns them fans and followers who come to trust them in ways an impersonal “talking head” on a TV commercial could never hope to match.

Now, the idea of an influencer isn’t all that new. Most of us would say that we’re actually the result of many other influencers in our lives.

Maybe we could call them Life Influencers.

Perhaps they are our parents or grandparents, siblings, peer groups, pastors, mentors, and teachers.

Expand the circle of influence a little wider and we could include books, movies, and music, and the artists that create them - all influencing us, sometimes subtly, sometimes blatantly.

But just like when I was young, some influencers nudge us in positive and healthy directions, while others pull us away from our authenticity and sway us to make bad life choices.

If we’re to take Socrates’ maxim to “know thyself” to heart, we have to acknowledge the influencers in our lives.

How have we been influenced, and by whom?

So today I wanted to shine our collective light of attention on our personal Life Influencers - those who’ve played an important role in shaping us, teaching us, and inspiring us.

Let me share a personal example.

Mr. Hess was funny, friendly, and put me at ease during a painfully awkward time in my youth. Plus, he made learning fun and inspired in me an interest in science that I have to this day.

He never made me feel stupid when I got an answer wrong on a test. Instead, he took the time to show me where I erred, often telling me, “No big deal, a lot of people miss that one,” and making sure I walked away a bit smarter than I had been a moment ago, without shaming or demeaning me in the process.

Mr. Hess knew full well that most of his students would rather be doing just about anything other than sitting in a classroom. So he made learning fun.

He was even very forgiving when my best friend and I accidentally caught part of the classroom on fire while conducting an experiment involving “burning ice!” We were prepared for a pretty severe punishment, but other than having to clean up the mess we’d made, Mr. Hess reminded us that - hey guys - sometimes science is messy, and even a tad dangerous!

We learned to be much more careful, and I’m proud to say I never lit any more classrooms ablaze.  
A good teacher is good at talking about science, history, or math.

But a good Life Influencer knows how to demonstrate the value of learning and even of making mistakes.

A good teacher can tell you what to think.

But a good Life Influencer teaches you how to think, and to appreciate the wonder of discovery.

I learned a lot of important lessons from Mr. Hess, but none more valuable to me than his positive influence on me as I was growing up.

As I grew older, I found myself in jobs where I was in a position of influence. Sometimes hiring or training new employees. Sometimes speaking to large groups of people. And of course coaching our wonderful Centerpointe clientele as I continue to do today.

I confess that I don’t remember every science assignment Mr. Hess gave me. But I do remember just how he influenced me to emulate his passion for teaching and helping others succeed, how he used humor as a teaching tool, and how approachable he made himself as a teacher and mentor.

I could list many such people I’ve known in my life, which makes me feel truly blessed.

I can only hope you have your version of Mr. Hess in your life, or perhaps many such Life Influencers; people who have helped you navigate your way through what the eminent philosopher and rock icon Prince called “this thing called life!”

Who was your most meaningful Life Influencer?

A teacher like Mr. Hess? Or perhaps your father or mother? A pastor or priest? Or maybe a kindly neighbor or friend who supported you during a tough time?

And what kind of Life Influencer are you?

Who have you helped along the way? Are you encouraging others to make good choices in life? Are you living by example? Despite any short-comings (none of us are perfect, after all), are you offering a piece of your wisdom or insights to someone who could use it?

Even if we don’t have a Youtube channel where we review the latest skin care product or smartphone, we’re all influencers in one way or another.

And as we strive to better ourselves - to become happier and healthier people - in what ways can we also serve as a source of inspiration, love, and support to others in our scope of influence to do the same thing?

Because the truth is, you’ve got more influence than you think.

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