Build a Better Life with a Positive Social Aspect

Good day my friend! Let me ask you something that might surprise you: When was the last time someone's success made you feel truly successful? When did helping another person climb higher make you feel like you were soaring too? If you can't remember, then we need to talk.

The Truth About Success That Nobody Talks About

Here's what I've discovered after decades of studying successful people: the most fulfilled individuals I know aren't just achievers—they're connectors. They understand something that our culture of individual achievement often misses: we rise by lifting others!

I remember meeting a CEO who had everything our society says should make him happy—the corner office, the seven-figure income, the luxury car. But when I asked him about his greatest accomplishment, his eyes lit up as he told me about mentoring a young employee who had just been promoted to vice president. That's when I knew I was talking to someone who truly understood success.

You see, we've been sold a bill of goods that says life is about what we accumulate for ourselves. But the leaders I most admire, the people who sleep peacefully at night and wake up energized every morning, they know the secret: life gets better when we make other lives better.

This isn't just feel-good philosophy—it's practical wisdom! When you invest in relationships, when you choose to be a positive influence, you're not just being nice. You're building the foundation for a life that has meaning beyond your own achievements.

The Art of Positive Influence

Let me share something I've learned about influence: you're already doing it! Every day, in every interaction, you're either adding to someone's life or taking away from it. The question isn't whether you'll have influence—it's what kind of influence you'll choose to have.

Think about the people who've shaped your life for the better. I'll bet they weren't the ones who impressed you with their credentials or their bank accounts. They were the ones who saw something in you that maybe you didn't even see in yourself. They were the encouragers, the believers, the people who took time to listen when you needed to talk.

You have that same power! Right now, today, you can be that person for someone else. It might be as simple as really listening when a colleague shares a concern, or offering genuine encouragement to a friend who's doubting themselves. It could be volunteering at a local organization or mentoring someone who's just starting their career journey.

Here's what I love about positive influence: it doesn't require special training or expensive resources. It requires intention and heart. It requires you to see people not as they are, but as they could become. When you make that choice—to be someone who builds others up rather than tears them down—you tap into one of the most powerful forces in human experience.

The Ripple Effect of Kindness

I want to tell you about something I call the "multiplication principle" of relationships. When you invest positively in one person, you're not just impacting that one life. You're potentially impacting every life that person will touch, and every life those people will touch, and on and on.

I once knew a teacher who took extra time with a struggling student, not just helping with homework but believing in that child's potential. That student grew up to become a successful business owner who created hundreds of jobs in his community. But more than that, he became known as someone who invested in his employees, who saw their potential and helped them grow. One teacher's decision to care created a ripple effect that impacted thousands of lives.

You might be thinking, "Michael, that's a nice story, but I'm not a teacher." Here's the truth: you don't have to be a teacher to teach. You don't have to be a counselor to encourage. You don't have to be a leader to lead by example.

Every act of kindness, every moment of genuine interest in another person, every time you choose to speak words of encouragement instead of criticism—these create ripples. You may never know how far those ripples travel or whose life they touch, but I guarantee they're making a difference.

The beautiful thing about living with positive social influence is that it comes back to you multiplied. Not because you're keeping score, but because that's how the universe works. When you create an environment of trust and encouragement around you, you get to live in that environment too!

The Life You Build When You Build Others

Now let me share the part that might surprise you: when you focus on having a positive social impact, you don't sacrifice your own growth—you accelerate it. The most successful people I know understand that leadership isn't about being the smartest person in the room; it's about making the room smarter.

When you surround yourself with people you've invested in and encouraged, you create what I call a "growth environment." These relationships become sources of strength during difficult times, celebration during victories, and wisdom when you're facing decisions. The network you build through positive influence becomes the foundation for your own resilience and joy.

I've seen this principle work in my own life countless times. Some of my greatest opportunities came through relationships I'd built by investing in others first. Some of my deepest friendships grew from moments when I chose to be an encourager rather than a competitor. The teaching engagements, conference presentations, book opportunities, and business partnerships that have shaped my career—so many of them trace back to times when I focused on adding value to someone else's life.

But here's what matters more than any professional benefit: when you live this way, you sleep well at night! You wake up knowing that your life has meaning beyond your own success. You experience the deep satisfaction that comes from knowing you've made a difference.

My friend, let me leave you with this challenge: starting today, look for one opportunity to invest positively in someone else's life. It doesn't have to be grand or complicated. Send an encouraging text. Really listen to a coworker's ideas. Volunteer an hour of your time. Acknowledge someone's efforts.

You already have everything you need to begin building this better life through positive social influence. You have a heart that can care, words that can encourage, and actions that can make a difference. The question isn't whether you're capable of positive influence—it's whether you'll choose to use that influence intentionally.

Your life gets better when you make other lives better. It's that simple, and it's that powerful. Start today, and watch how the ripples of your positive influence come back to create waves of blessing in your own life.

Remember: success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure, and true fulfillment comes when our success lifts others toward their own!

To your growth and freedom,

Dr. Michael Schulz