A friend shared a list of the 10 most influential people in his life over the last year. What a remarkable practice. But even more, what remarkable vision to see the influence people bear on his life.
It’s a habit we’d all do well to adopt, because we never shape the world alone. In fact, we are dependent on the influence of the people around us to find our own shape. As John Donne wrote:
"No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main"
There’s not one of us who can find our way in life alone. Not a one of us, not matter how great our gifts may be, that isn’t lacking in some area. The magic of community is that one person’s weaknesses are so often perfectly complemented by the strengths of another.
Who is building in to your life? Do they know how much meaning their gifts bring to you? Do you know?