Tag Archive for: influence

LESSONS FROM THE OSCARS, 2022

Everyone looks forward to the Oscars!
From the red carpet fashion fiesta to the thrilling award nominations, right until the final results everything has a special aura about it.
However, this year the showstopper was the unexpected faceoff between Chris Rock and Will Smith.
Those present at the ceremony were caught by surprise and many around the world were taken aback by Will’s reaction to a rather dull-witted joke made by Chris.
Everyone is now debating whether Will was right or wrong, what should have happened and what shouldn’t have.
Some are justifying Will’s actions, while several are opposing them. Many others are taking a rather neutral stand.
But think about the entire incident for a while and ask yourself, what lessons can we draw from the fiasco at the Oscars,2022?

Here are a few to get you started…

  1. CHECK YOUR TONGUE

    Chris had a choice when he was speaking about Jada.
    For something as big as the Oscars, anyone would have planned and penned down and even memorized their scripts, so Chris probably planned this out as a part of his set, of course the outcome didn’t sum up to what was expected. Chris was loose with his tongue and he faced a very awkward situation as a result of it. We always have a choice when it comes to our words. Words are powerful. Words can build or tear down people. Proverbs 18:21 says
    “The tongue has the power of life and death”, which is why we must always calculate the impact of our words before we set our tongue loose,  in fact, we must always check our thoughts and our speech and never choose to let our tongue loose.

     

  2. CHECK YOUR HUMOUR

    What is the purpose of humour? To lighten a moment, to bring a smile on someone’s face? Sadly, the humour we have grown used to has many devious connotations today. Stand up comedy and humour in popular circles thrive on mockery and ridicule. Today, Some of the best stand up artists are those who prefer duality with their words, strip people apart with their monologues and are regular users of profanity. Since when did we become okay with belittling someone else? Since when did someone’s health condition become a point of leverage to garner cheers and laughter? Surprisingly, Chris made an insensitive joke about Jada and then he had the audacity to justify his joke in the name of entertainment. It’s never okay to walk all over the lives of people without knowing their stories. Philippians 4:8,9 says Finally,… whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. Can we choose to enjoy humour that isn’t based on ridicule and mockery?  We must choose humour that builds up someone. Chris’ humour at the Oscars represents a low level of insensitivity that we have towards each other. There are so many memes today, about the reaction of Hollywood superstars when Will smacked Chris, If only there would have been a similar reaction when Chris cracked the unsolicited joke on Jada. We must rethink and reset our humour!

  3. CHECK YOUR ACTIONS

    In the apology that Will Smith issued after his outbreak at the Oscars he wrote “I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us,” he wrote. “I am a work in progress.”. Our actions are very important indicators of who we are on the inside. Which is why we need to check our actions regularly. It was Anthony of Padua who said “Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.”
    We all are a work in progress and you must consistently ask yourself the question ‘Are my actions contradicting my words?’. Let’s notch that up a level higher ‘Do people remember me for what I did or for who I am?.

Regardless of who is right or wrong and what disciplinary actions will be taken by the academy, we are responsible for both our words and our actions. When we are emotionally perturbed we can say and do things that we do not mean. The best thing to do is to process our thoughts, words and actions lest we become irresponsible with them.  It is best to remind ourselves that we are God’s masterpieces created for good works (Ephesians 2:10). May we always strive to be the best, in order to bring out the best in others.

YOU CAN BE AN INFLUENCER IF YOU DO THIS…

Have you ever walked into a stadium full of cheering fans? Or into a room full of chatter? Or into a restaurant where the customers are waiting for their orders to arrive? Or a bus that is running late and the passengers are getting impatient? We can all agree that there is a certain atmosphere in each of these settings. The anticipation, the wait, and the temperature in these settings reflect the social climate of the their gathering.

Most people that I’ve met are either of the two: a) they’ll either be an Influencer or b) the one being influenced.

Picture with me: A thermometer and a thermostat. One of these measures the temperature, and the other sets the temperature. It’s a very simple idea, but it can go as deep as you let it.

Most of us have difficulty crossing the line from Thermometers to Thermostats. What do I mean by this? We’re just reflecting the climate around us. In fact, nearly all of the seven billion people living on planet earth have been a Thermometer at some point in their lives. They say what others say, buy what others buy, wear what others wear, watch what others watch and do what others do. They don’t even give a thought to being a trendsetter or a pacesetter. They are just reflecting on what’s going on around them. Sometimes, they are not even thinking for themselves and are merely mimicking the culture, instead of creating it.

We’ve all heard the old adage:

“Everyone has influence.”

Every one of us has influence – whether you believe it or not. Sociologists will tell us that: The most introverted people will influence 10,000 others in their lifetime. Thermostat people are influencers. They set the climate or the temperature of their surrounding.

I believe, Jesus was a Thermostat. When the mob brought a woman accused of wrong and was at the verge of stoning her to death (John 8:1-11). Jesus sets the temperature like a thermostat. Jesus calmly set the tone and temperature and everyone walked away.

I believe that the people who decide on being a Thermostat are making two very important decisions.

1) They Decided to Live by a Set of Values

In other words, not reflecting what everyone else is doing around them, they don’t even care. But what they do care about is coming out with a set of standards.

It’s a set of core values that they are living by. They raise the bar for everyone else by living by those standards. What’s amazing to me is that companies have core values, teams have core values, so why not people?

Thermostat people live by a set of values.

But the second decision they make is…

2) They Add Value to Other People.

Through every interaction that they have, they’re always saying something or doing something that adds value to the people around them. Maybe it’s an encouraging word, maybe a gift, they’re offering help and assistance, going beyond the call of duty to add value to others. The other person walks away being glad to have met that thermostat personality.

What would happen if you choose to live by these two decisions?

Every one of us is a thermostat, we rub off on others whether we like it or not.

Leverage your influence for a cause greater than yourself. Identify yourself as an influencer. Don’t be a thermometer, be a thermostat instead.

Action Steps:

  • Make a list of your core values and picture the person you would like to become by reaching up for these core values.
  • In every interaction you have, even if it is for a moment or two, do or say something that adds value to another person. It can be your friends, your co-workers, your family or even people you meet at public places.