"A life well-lived is a life lived with others."
That line is in my book in the chapter about Relationships.
I think it's my own spin-off of Albert Einstein's quote:
"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."
Many people have written and spoken about the importance of living in such a way that you leave a mark on those around you.
I remember at a young age, wanting to make an impact on others.
Back then, it was so that people would like me.
Today, that's still part of my desire, if I'm honest.
I want to be liked, accepted, appreciated, honored, noticed.
I think we all want that. Some of us just pursue it differently.
Four years ago, I had a habit of jogging just one mile every morning before work.
I did not allow myself to jog farther, even if I felt like it. It was my sweet spot to wake up for the day.
My alarm would go off a little before 6am. I would roll out of bed to the bathroom and then throw on some shoes.
I rarely wore socks because I like to be barefoot a lot, and I rarely wore a shirt, no matter what season it was outside. (This picture was a few years later!)
But it was spring on this particular day, so there was a slight chill in the air.
I did a short stretching routine, and then headed to the railroad tracks half a mile from my driveway.
I felt alive as I jogged that morning, with the sun not quite peeking up over the eastern horizon to my left.
As I turned around at the tracks, I headed back home.
You see, at this point of my life, I was devouring personal development books and speeches and podcasts.
I could not get enough!
I had been thinking the past few weeks about how much fun it would be to write a book along the same lines or become a speaker who inspired others.
It was the combination of those thoughts as my feet steadily felt stronger as I jogged toward my driveway, with the sun peeking over the horizon now on my right.
I remember passing a particular black mailbox when I had the thought, "I'm going to create a coaching company, and it's going to be called Massive Impact."
First, Massive contains my last name, Massie.
I pictured a giant V smashing into my last name, forming a logo that still just remains in my head.
Second, I want to create a Massive Impact in this world.
So I did! Both!
Two months ago, the night before my surgery to have the tumors removed from my body and my tongue reconstructed, I was given a gift.
Those who know me know that I am an encourager.
I always have been actually.
When I was in high school, I played soccer, basketball and baseball.
Each year at the end of the season we would have a banquet, and the coach would talk about each of us players and how we improved.
My senior year, we got my coach a gift, and I stepped forward to give the speech as we presented it to him.
My mom remembers thinking, He's doing the exact thing the coach does for each of the players.
I was never the standout athlete on any team, but I was the voice who would keep the guys going when we were getting down.
I was the one giving high fives in the locker room, calling out the good each guy did.
I have been the one whom the business owner came to with new ideas.
The problem with that was I always said 'yes'!
My wife has known this about me, and she wanted to give me the best gift she could before going into that surgery.
She found a site that allowed people to send in a video message, and they compiled it into one big video.
It was a really cool idea!
The problem--there was such a huge response that the video was over 4 hours long!
Even as I write this, I feel the emotions rising up again. I felt honored as I listened to so many videos.
I didn't make it through all four hours of video the night before my surgery, but I did finish it up that week I was in the hospital.
Here's why I tell you this: I had the privilege and honor of hearing that I had already made a Massive Impact!
There were friends from high school who recorded a video.
There were friends from college who recorded a video.
There were friends I haven't spoken to in a long time.
There were friends I had texted that day.
There were family members.
There were coworkers.
There were nieces and nephews.
There were even people I had never met before.
You know what they said?
Well, lots of things, but it boiled down to this:
Chris, you've got this. You're going to make it through this. You're ready.
Wow! I cried many times as I listened to those words from each of them, and I felt loved by all of their support.
Here's the thing: I've always had great people around me.
It's probably because I've been a great person for those around me.
If you want to make a Massive Impact, it starts with the people you have around you right now.
Speak life into them.
Encourage them.
Love them.
Challenge them.
Call out the best in them.
It's not always easy speaking life and being an encourager, but it's always worth it.
You don't always get to see and hear that you have made a Massive Impact, but I sure hope that you're as blessed as I am.
Don't do it with the hope of having your spouse create a video of your accolades.
Do it with the hope that the people you speak life into will make the change and take the step they need to in order to fulfill their God-given purpose.
Because THAT will light you up!
THAT will be evidence that you have created a Massive Impact.
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