#212

I’m an ex-teacher.

My extended family is full of them - current and former teachers who’ve shaped hundreds, maybe thousands, of young minds.

Fingers-crossed mostly for good 😊

Recently, one of my family members resigned from his role as a maths teacher.

As you’d expect, there were cards, handshakes, little gifts, and heartfelt messages from current colleagues and students.

But what surprised and inspired him most were the messages from people he hadn’t heard from in years.

Old colleagues. Former students. Parents.

People whose paths had long since drifted apart, but who took the time to reach out.

They shared moments - often small, sometimes long-forgotten by him - that had stayed with them.

A word of encouragement before an exam.

A joke that lightened a heavy day.

A moment of belief when they didn’t believe in themselves.

At the time, he had no idea of the ripple he was creating.

No idea that something said in passing could stick for years.

No idea that he had quietly and unknowingly altered the trajectory of someone’s life.

That’s the thing about impact:
...We rarely know when it’s happening.
...We don’t get an instant scoreboard or applause.
...Sometimes, we never find out at all.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

It just means the echoes of our words and actions travel further and last longer than we realise.

As Maximus says in the movie Gladiator:
“What we do in life echoes in eternity.”

So today, as you move through your conversations, choices, and actions, remember:

Someone might carry this moment for years.

Make it one worth carrying.

A few whispers for you:

- Who has had an impact on you that you’ve never told? Could you tell them today?

- Where might you be underestimating your influence?

- What impact would it have on your interactions if you knew it might be remembered forever?

- How would you act if you knew your words would echo in someone’s mind for decades – positively or negatively?

- Who could use a moment of belief from you right now?

- When was the last time you reached out to thank or acknowledge someone from your past?

- What legacy are you quietly creating without even realising?