Earlier this morning, I read a few pages of Tony Dungy’s, “The Mentor Leader.” On page 107, I came across a story that he shared in regards to his days as a student in junior high school. Mr. Rockquemore, Tony Dungy’s Assistant Principal at Frost Junior High School once asked Tony, “Why would you let anything stop you from doing what you have the ability to do?” It was this question along with Mr. Rockquemore’s willingness to get involved with Tony’s academic and athletic development that changed the entire course of Tony’s life.

The lesson that  I learned from this story is not to underestimate the platforms we have to impact and touch the lives of one another. Unless we tell someone or we are told by someone, we will never know the impact that one phrase, sentence, word, or experience might have on us or someone else. I have often heard the phrase, “Don’t forget the “small” people at the bottom when you make it to the top.” In my opinion, there are no small people. We all matter tremendously. The fact that we were all born as human-beings is a miracle in itself. Out of the five kingdoms of living organisms, we are just one species. Let’s not even touch on the various groups of kingdoms. We’ll save that for science class!

Nonetheless, it’s important that we are humble and grateful for the lives that we live. Regardless of who we are or where we are from, there will always arise an opportunity which will allow us to make an impact on another person’s life. This will either be for better or for worse. It is up to us to make the right decision. Now the question is, “What will we decide?”