Everest-Sized Influence

Success isn’t always a measurement of personal achievement. It’s often determined by the influence we have on others.

The tallest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest, is named after Sir George Everest, a geographer from the 1800’s, but not because Sir George was the first to summit the mountain. That was Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953. As a matter of fact, Sir George Everest never even saw the mountain.

The man who hiked the Himalayas to officially calculate the mountain’s record-breaking height was Andrew Waugh. He was also the one who suggested that the mountain be named in honor of Sir George. Waugh believed it was Everest’s innovation, high standards, and influence on the field of surveying that made mapping the Himalayas possible. And so, in 1865, “Peak Fifteen” as it was known at the time, officially became Mt. Everest.

If your daily life seems insignificant, expand your vision. Recognize your influence on other people. If you’re a parent, you’re not just changing diapers or taxiing kids to soccer practice, you’re shaping character. If you’re married, you’re not just paying bills and doing laundry, you’re encouraging each other forward through life. Even as a friend, a neighbor, or a co-worker, you may not directly impact millions of people yourself but – who knows? – you just might influence someone who will.