Part of my journalling process is to do a bit of a ‘roll call’ in my journal the way you do when you’re attending a class at school. I tend to zoom through as many names as I can brainstorm, in alphabetical order (because #system) and as I was writing today, I had a name pop in my head of a girl I went to Primary school with when I started school through to year 3 when we moved state when I was 8 years old.

 

It’s funny how I remember what it felt like to be 8. The names that popped into my head..I wrote one name: Lara and then the name of my other friend popped in my head: Emma. I remember being invited to her birthday party, but it was cancelled cause she got Chicken Pox… and I didn’t tell Mum cause I really wanted to go and see her! Sorry Mum. Yes, the school did deliver the message, but I wanted to still give her the present!!!

 

Anyway… as I’m slipping through the sands of time, remembering all the feels and thinking about the names, I further was wondering about if they would remember me…

 

I’ve often wondered if people remember who I am. I mean… there are times when I’ll come across people and they look at me completely blankly! They don’t know who I am, even when I remember who they are. It really used to irk me! I remember thinking “DAMMIT!!! How do I make them remember me!?!?!?”…

 

For me, these people were linked into significant events, right? I mean, year 3, big move interstate to a new town, new school, new house and having to make new friends.

 

I wonder how much the people from past remember… and if they do, how do they remember me?

 

It got me then thinking about the impact that we have NOW on people. I wonder what it will be like in another 10-20 years down the track and if people will remember me or if they won’t… and I wonder who I will remember and who I won’t.

 

I think about the people who have had a big impact on me over the past 10 years and I remember them vividly. Some for great reasons, some for no reason and some for not great reasons! I guess it’s the meaning and the anchoring, right, with these people?

 

What do you think?

 

I like to think that people will remember me because I helped to inspire them. To motivate them and activate them! I hope people will remember because of the positive impact I have and had on them.

What’s funny, though, is that every day, I go about it assuming that people don’t necessarily know me or know who I am. I assume that I am starting with a blank slate and that I have an amazing and wonderful opportunity to help them get to know me. You know: Best foot forward every day, right?

 

Question for you: If someone stumbled across you today and they’ve had zero exposure to you whatsoever, how are you helping them to get to know you?

 

How are you helping them remember you?

 

How are you having a positive impact on their lives?

 

To the people in Sale that I went to primary school with. I still think about you fondly! I remember the hay bales that I used to climb in at my friend, Lara’s house. I remember not ever eating Pizza and going to your place and telling your Mum I didn’t like Pizza and she was mortified! I remember watching Care Bears in your lounge! I remember running through the paddocks and swinging on the gates.

 

To the 8 year old me, I remember you. Full of life. Full of laughter. Full of beans. I remember how much you loved life and your brother and your parents! How much you loved dressing up!

 

To the 8 year old me, there’s going to be some fun, new people coming into your life and you’ll love them as much as you do your current friends.

 

And when you move, you’ll be friends with the people from your new school on something called Facebook when you’re older! It’s going to be weird.

 

You will be remembered by the people who matter.

 

Stay true to you. Stay true to your heart. Stay true to what you know in your soul you need to do.

The people you are going to meet in your future are going to be amazing. You’re amazing.

 

You’ve got this!

 

 

The message for YOU, reading this, is the same: you will be remembered by the people who matter. You will remember the people who matter to you. Do all that you can to have a positive impact, daily, on people so that when they need YOU, with whatever it is that YOU do, they will remember you.