Be a Force of Nature: Make an Impact on the World

An ah-mazing speaker I admire with the most brilliant mind and generous heart interviewed me for an industry program and I was so flattered by his introduction, he said ‘she is a force of nature’ – it stopped me in my tracks, made me smile and I wondered what does that mean?

When you call someone a force of nature it means the person has a strong personality or character — like a hurricane or a tsunami – they might be full of energy, unstoppable, unchallengeable, unforgettable. In summary, a person to be reckoned with – that made me smile even more!

Are you a force of nature?

What is your energy level? Your drive? Your confidence level?

Can you be, as the great speaker Patrick Henry says, ‘Remember-able?’

I am surrounded by people who are forces of nature. It’s fun to observe them and debrief their actions that impresses me.

Listed below are observations about how to be a force of nature, we can all apply at work, at home, and in our community.

Make people matter – be fully focused.  Can you give someone the gift of your undivided attention so they realize they are the most important person you are talking to at that moment in time? This means STOP looking at your cell phone and look someone in the eye.

Stop making technology more important than people. Please put your cell phone away.

Invest wisely – be deliberate with how you invest your time, energy, and attention to the people and the projects that will give you the best ROA (return on attention). Say ‘no’ to the things that don’t matter. Our office has a mantra that says ‘if it’s not yes, it’s no’. It sounds simple and it’s incredibly liberating when you do it. Stop wasting time in indecision. Make a decision and move on.

Enter energetically – your energy is contagious. You can change the energy of a conversation, presentation, or the feeling of a room simply by how you enter it. Show us as the best version of yourself as you walk in with the assumption that everyone wants to play with you (that’s my belief). This means walking in confidently, with a real smile on your face, and not looking at your cell phone. It means extending your hand first to shake hands; it means not looking like the ‘bag lady’ weighed down with too many bags, coffee mugs, and clutter. Stop walking into meetings connected to devices, clearing emails, and not acknowledging your team members.

Make people matter.

Attention pays. Paying attention increases profitability, productivity, and accountability.

I challenge you to make someone feel like the most important person you have met, talked to, texted, called, or seen today. People want to be seen and heard. The forces of nature in my life have mastered this skill. Be a force of nature today.