I have cause today to sit back and reflect a little bit upon the course my life has taken to this point and what I have accomplished thus far in my life. At first glance it appears to me that I have not really accomplished much. If I were to die today, what would my legacy be?

There would be no buildings erected in my name, no statues of me adorning the city center, no lasting “gifts” made to the study of science, mathematics, or any other education institute. I have simply been a drop in this large body of water we call life.

This is the impact of the average man, the impact that 999,999 of us will make for every million people in the world. If the world was full of “movers and shakers” then the average would simple move to a new standard. Take a look around you at the people that you know. From the simplest to the most intelligent, from the poorest to the richest, if you live amongst average people their impact will likely be the same as mine when measured as I did above. Even the most intelligent, wealthy person from the zone of average will leave very little behind. Sure, some may leave their families struggling when they pass, others will ease their families financial burden, but few will have a long lasting societal impact when they go.

The real impact we can make in this life is not in what we can leave behind to be remembered by, but in what we can do for others while we are here. Touching the lives of others to make them wiser, safer, more comfortable, to relieve their burden by sharing in it, that is the difference that we can all make. As I take this time today to reflect on my impact on the world I ask you to do the same. Make today a “touch more people day”. Whether it is simply by smiling at them as you pass by, or a more in depth interaction, giving just a bit of yourself can raise the spirits of others. Including your own. - John