Just like influencing others isn’t about authority, expanding your reach isn’t about promotion. So many think they don’t affect others because they don’t think they or their opinions matter? But everyone influences someone.

So, does your life reflect how you want to affect others? Are you improving the character, the growth, or the behavior of someone for the better? For your words and actions to impact others, they have to align with who you authentically are.  Others have to see you living from a place of passion and are not pretending to be anything but yourself.

You can increase your reach by how you walk into a room confidently.  Or by how you greet someone.  When you are authentic, you are expanding your reach in ways you can’t even imagine.

Influence is our inner ability to lift people up to our perspective. ~ Joseph Wong

Awareness of Your Influential Status

So, are you aware of your ability to influence others? First, you must accept this fact as a fundamental truth.  No matter who you are or what authority you do or don’t have, you affect others around you.   Therefore, for you to expand your reach, you first must understand that you are influencing others.

The second item you must realize is what size your circle of influence is currently.  Who are you affecting: family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, co-workers, strangers? For example, are the comments you make a bookclub causing others to see a different perspective? Is the encouragement you give a co-worker helping them succeed in their goals? Did you smile at the mom with the upset child in line at the grocery store, letting her know you can empathize with her situation?

Once you become aware of how you can affect others, there is a responsibility not to harm. And if you do, apologize. Be responsible for the words and actions you have and how they affect others.  And by taking up the challenge of expanding your reach positively, can you help heal a part of the world around you. 

You don’t have to be a ‘person of influence’ to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they’ve taught me. ~ Scott Adams

Proactively Expanding Your Reach

Being proactive means that you aren’t waiting on the sidelines for life to happen to you, but instead actively seeking opportunities and adventures.  Yes, you are consciously stepping out of your comfort zone.  Why? Because you can’t form new relationships to expand your reach if you continue to do what you’re doing.

So, you’ll need to look at your habits and behavior patterns to see what alterations may need to occur. Trying new things and making new connections with others requires you to remind your egoic mind that the risk of reaching out to others will be beneficial. 

Reach out and join some new communities that interest you.  You can do this online or in person. For example, are you interested in crystals? Maybe the local geological society can help you meet people who can help you learn more.  Do you want to expand your creativity? Many communities have an art guild where you can find classes that interest you in developing your artistic skills. 

Be curious and ask questions.  As you move into these groups, make conversation with the individuals to discover who they are.  Focus on finding out more about them instead of talking about yourself. Remember, you want to learn from them, so be teachable and actively listen to what they are saying. 

You can’t influence people you refuse to associate with.  ~ Andy Stanley

Interpersonal Skills Helps Your Influence

To expand your reach, you must be able to interact with others positively.  Improve your communication skills by learning to listen to understand what the other person is saying. This skill helps build trust and rapport with the other person.  

Then be consistent and reliable. People want to know they can trust you.  Your morality and ethics are a matter of integrity that others look at as character-building aspects of who you are.  When you are trustworthy, then people will be open to your influence.

Be empathetic to others.  Let them see you understand their emotions and experiences, even if you haven’t had the same ones.  Being able to see their perspective is vital in validating who they are.  Relating to others on their level is an act of compassion and expands your reach. 

Be sure to appreciate others for their presence in your life. Kindness, in the form of genuine gratitude, goes a long way toward making authentic connections with others. It’s a natural way to inspire those around you.

Help others seek solutions.  Helping others sort through the information concerning a situation enables them to get clear on the issue. In addition, you may be able to show them an alternative perspective they hadn’t considered that could lead to a solution.

One of the best ways to influence people is to make them feel important. ~ Roy T. Bennett

Passion and Vision Expand Your Reach

Your authenticity causes your light to shine, and that inner glow influences others. Your vision of what life can be, helps others with their own expansion.  You can help give shape to someone’s vision by your influence and example. 

See, your passion for living your authentic life helps to ignite other people’s dreams and inspires them to have their own vision. Passion is the fuel of persistence in anything you dare to dream.  Your inner fire drives you to excel, to act, and to move towards your goals.

The ability to inspire others and achieve your dreams is based on the size of the passion burning within you. This inner fire keeps your desire for growth intense. It intensifies your creativity, strengthens your resolve to overcome any obstacles that arise, and fuels your enthusiasm to pursue your dream with vigor.      

And when others see the passion and enthusiasm for your dream, they want to be around you. Why? Because this type of positivity is contagious. It’s inspiring to be around someone who’s living authentically and thriving. It’s someone you want in your tribe who can teach you, encourage you, and give clarity.   

Because everything we say and do is the length and shadow of our own souls, our influence is determined by the quality of our being. ~ Dale Turner

Moving Forward Expanding Your Reach

Do you see the connection between being your authentic self and expanding your reach?  It’s not about promoting yourself or being the one doing the talking. It’s you being you and accepting others as they are so that they can be authentically them. 

To expand your reach, you must intentionally make authentic connections with diverse people. You are then encouraging them through your influence to listen to their hearts and not the egoic mind that keeps them from living out their dreams.

Share yourself with others- your time, thoughts, and resources to help others grow and develop into their authentic selves.  When you share your authentic self with others, you expand your reach and inspire others to be authentically themselves, too.

You have the capacity to leave a lasting impact and indelible impression upon this world. Claim the sacred spaces of your minds, nurture and cultivate a vision of fulfillment, and move toward that destiny with patience, perseverance, and prayer.

 ~ Mahershala Ali

Do you need help to be your authentic self? Do you want to help your community by inspiring others to be genuine?  If so, please reach out to me at TerriKozlowski.com, and we can put together an action plan to live the life of your dreams.

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How You Can Expand Your Reach By Being Authentic

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Being your authentic self is the best way to expand your reach because it encourages and inspires others to be their authentic selves, too.

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Terri Kozlowski

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Kozmic Soul Solutions LLC

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