You ever pondered the catalytic effects of your first impressions? It was on one cold night as I pulled an Irish exit at an event in Central London. The battery in my phone had died, leaving me no option but to hail a cab. After what seemed about half an hour and countless efforts, I finally boarded one.
Now without properly exchanging pleasantries, the driver inquired whether my heritage was tied to one country (unnamed). As I shared that it wasn’t the case, my response seemed to be the key he needed to unlock the floodgates of bitterness stored within his heart. You see, many years ago, he had picked up a passenger who originated from the unnamed country. Once they arrived at her apartment complex, she pleaded to rush upstairs for her wallet. Hours passed by and she never returned.
We can assume something may have happened upstairs or maybe she purposefully decided not to pay the fare. Regardless, the driver held on to the latter assumption and built a negative impression about any passenger that remotely resembled this lady. And as we approached the hotel, it immediately dawned on me: We are all walking billboards. The actions we take is what propel others to believe or disbelieve that God can indeed be found in people.
There is quite a fascinating story about two ad executives who got into a car. The first executive said, “I saw an ad for Aston Martin and bought this car.” The second responded, “But Aston Martin hasn’t advertised for years. How is that possible?” It was only possible because the first executive had seen the ad when she was 13 years old, and she’d never forgotten it.
Fam, presentation holds power. It may seem the ways in which you present yourself today do not matter because you are only a ‘small person’ in the midst of giants. But what you may also be forgetting is that dynamite comes in small packages. The right impression you leave wherever you find yourself today could be the greatest impact you can have on an entire community tomorrow. Don’t underestimate that.
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This message was originally shared on instagram here.