Matt Hogan here from MoveMe Quotes
and thanks for tuning in!
This is Episode #15
of our MoveMe Quote of the week series
and let's jump right into it!
Our quote this week comes from
Carl Sagan
and it reads:
"Who are we
if not measured by our impact on others?
That's who we are!
We're not who we say we are,
we're not who we want to be,
we are the sum of the influence
and impact that we have
in our lives
on others."
All right so let's break this quote down.
"We are not who we say we are."
If I
see somebody walk out of a store
and then let a door close
on the person behind them
and then later hear them say
how much of a, "gentleman" they are,
what am I gonna believe?
Their words?
Or their actions?
If I see somebody
talk about how much better they are
than everybody else
and then later hear them
classify themselves as humble,
what am I gonna believe?
Their words or their actions?
And then if I hear somebody
intentionally
and repetitively
putting somebody else down
and belittling them
and then hear them saying that they are,
"kind and inclusive,"
What am I gonna believe?
You get the idea right?
We are not who we say we are.
Alright, let's talk about the second part
of the quote
"We are not who we want to be"
If
I hear somebody talk about how
they want to be a Travel Photographer,
but they're currently a waitress,
Who are they?
If I hear somebody tell me about
how they want to be a millionaire CEO
but they don't want to work
outside of their nine-to-five
are they
a millionaire CEO?
Or are they an employee?
And if I hear someone say
that they want to be "perfect,"
but they're of course human,
who are they?
Are they perfect or are they a human?
It can't be both.
You guys get the idea.
We are not
who we want to be.
So, who are we?
According to Carl Sagan
we are the sum of the influence
and impact that we have had
in our lives on others.
We are the sum of the actions
that we've taken
and what those actions
have done for
the world and the people in it.
It's our actions
that determine
our legacy and our impact on others—
not our desires.
Sure desires might change
the way you think
and maybe the way you feel
and maybe the way you act
as a result
but until you actually
act on those desires
your impact and legacy
will never change.
And keep in mind
that we are the sum
of the actions that we've taken
and we are the sum
of the influence and impact
that we have had
So, if we hold the door open
for somebody one time,
does that make us a gentleman?
If we take pictures on a trip
one time,
does that make us a Travel Photographer?
What we have to remember
is that there's a tipping point
in our identity—
a point in which
we classify ourselves
as "that" person or "this" person.
So, if we want to be a gentleman
then
we have to continually
take actions
that represent that
and so
eventually the actions
the sum of those actions
will add up
to tip us over the scales to become
classified as a, "gentleman."
Maybe not only in our eyes,
but in the eyes of others.
You see, every action you take
is a vote
towards a certain identity
that you want to become
If you want to be a Travel Photographer,
you're not going to be classified as a
Travel Photographer after one experience
it's gonna take
several, it's gonna take many
of those and then after that
consistent effort
you'll build up enough votes
to tip the scales
in favor of you becoming that
person—that identity.
So, think about
who you want to become
and then make sure that your actions
are matching your desires.
If you desire to be
a certain type of person,
then you have to reverse engineer
and ask yourself,
"What actions do I need to take
in order to get there?"
It's not how you think
and how you feel
it's what you do.
And so spend some time with that
and I hope that this
again, gets you thinking about
the small actions you can take
every day that will get you
closer and closer
to the identity that you wanna become.
And I hope that you continue
taking new challenges
in that right, proper direction.
So, good luck!
Thanks for watching the video.
I look forward to seeing you guys again
next week.
