Trickle Down

Ever wonder if what you say or do affects anyone? I’m sure most, if not all, people believe their life does in fact impact the lives of those around them, but how much? Do you think that only the most important statements or things you have done mean the most in how others interact with you on a daily basis? Sometimes, well most of the time I believe, we all seem to forget that even the simplest things that we say or do affect many people in ways in which we don’t readily think about.

Yes, it’s habit to focus on the large situations in our lives, I can attest to that basic fact of life as I’m sure you can too. But, as I sit here, I can name countless little things that were said or done throughout my life that created a major impact in how I think and react. Whether it affected how I trust someone to how much respect I give a person… Whether I feel that someone is a liar or a true friend… The situations are countless, but the vast majority of what I remember would not be considered earth shattering events.

Maybe it’s because I discount the major instances for the most part and focus on the little things that slip through. To me, the telltale signs of who people are come through in the simplest conversation or reaction in ordinary situations. These signs can display more about a person than weeks, months, or even years of conversation or friendship. Sometimes, who people truly are comes out when they are the most “comfortable.”

How about you? Do you let the real you slip out in while you’re not looking? Does your true personality squeeze out through the armor you have slipped into? As I’ve said before, most of us are walking around with different “faces” on and for the most part, we don’t let many people see the real us. We like to control that aspect of our life even more than our bank account it seems.

But, when that instance comes along and the real you comes out, what kind of trickle down effects do you have on the other people in your life? For me, the trickle down instances I have experienced in my life generally center on people who failed to conceal their “wicked” person. Why do you think that is? Well, basic common sense to me says that people who aren’t really the nice person they seem to be, allow these “slips” to happen because they are in fact, concealing who they really are. People who aren’t worried about hiding their true self, are legitimate people and usually don’t fall into these types of traps… they are who they are all the time.

Yes, everything we do carries an impact on others. The trickle down effects of our actions and words can help and even damage others. However, if we focus upon being our true selves in all situations, the effects will be nearly all positive whether mistakes were made or not. Genuine people are expected to make mistakes… non-genuine people who make mistakes can lose trust, respect, and their dignity amongst their friends, family, and co-workers.

Going back to my statement that I have tended to focus upon the small things from people and sad to say, most of the time, these small nuances are vastly negative. I have found that most people fear others knowing who they really are. For whatever reason, they just cannot be themselves. But, given enough time, we all figure out who they really are even as they fight tooth and nail to hide it. The little things will always come out no matter how good at hiding…

Go about your day as you really are. Don’t worry about the little things that slip through because there won’t be anything to slip. Your trickle down effects will be positive because genuine people make genuine relationships and friends. These bonds are not broken by mistakes done in an honest manner. But mistakes made by liars concealing who they really are deserve their just punishment when they do display their true nature. Be who you are, it’s the right thing to do… it’s the respectful thing to do… it’s the trustworthy thing to do… your trickle down effects will be positive in the eyes of those you interact with.