A long time ago I heard the question, “What would you do if you knew everyone were watching? How would you live your life?” I was still in college at the time, yet I was already doing a lot of soul-searching, and the question had a profound impact that still guides me to this day.
To me, this question is about seeing how important the little things are. It is about realizing that every act that I think might be little actually could be really big and important… if the entire world were watching me. Because everything I do can influence other people. I don’t know how or where that influence will be, but I believe it does happen. And so I’m not going to simply slough off some of my actions as if they don’t matter.
It’s about realizing that, at every moment of the day, whether I want it or not, whether I realize it or not, I am in a sense being a role model for the rest of the world. People are getting something from my choices, my energy, my example. They are watching, and they are learning from me. And therefore, everything I choose to do with my day matters. Therefore, everything I choose to think and believe, every word that I say, and every choice I make matters.
It reminds me of how I aim to carry myself on this blog. Whether I have five people reading this post or five thousand, I believe that how I communicate myself matters. There is no word I type, no post I publish that doesn’t matter. I am always projecting myself onto this blog, and as such I believe it is important to think about who I wish to be projecting out into the world. In other words, I’m assuming that the world is watching, I’m acting as if they are watching, and I am doing my best to act in a way that I would be proud of if the whole world actually was watching. Because you never know: someday they actually might be!
It reminds me of Stephen Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” in which he tells people to begin with the end in mind. In other words, Covey recommends that, no matter what we are about or what we are doing, that we start by seeing where we want to be at the end. This helps hold a vision of where we are headed.
For me, that vision is of life well-lived, where I have done my very best to be great with the people around me while being authentic and honorable, to express myself truly and courageously, to bring consciousness, generosity and joy to each day, and to shine my own personal ray of sunshine upon the world the best I can.
If I do these things, I feel confident that the example I set is something that I can be proud of. And I think this is an especially good thing.. because you never know: the world could be watching.