Things I Wish My Younger Self Knew- Lesson 10 – Make a Lasting Impact

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The way you treat others can make a lasting impact on their lives.

My final days in Portugal were spent with the other exchange students for a few days of closure before returning to our respective countries. This meant I had to say goodbye to my Portuguese family and friends a few days earlier than when I left the country. They gave me a going away party, and we enjoyed our last day together. I did not think I would see them again so soon.

But when I arrived at the airport on the morning of my departure, they all were there with signs and lots of hugs to give me. Once I said a final goodbye, I was torn between the excitement of going home and seeing my family and the tremendous sadness of leaving all these special people who became my family.

 

When I entered the plane, my body hit the seat with a big, tired thump. I was mentally exhausted. A tear rolled down my cheek as the moment’s reality collided with my emotions. 

I had to say goodbye to what I knew for a year, the relationships I formed, and the family I grew to love. 

With a heavy heart, I caught a glimpse out the airplane window. 

For a moment, I thought I was imagining the scene.

A large group of people were jumping up and down and waving at the plane from the roof of the airport building. Through my tears, I laughed as I realized all my friends were bidding me a proper goodbye. They had not yet left the airport. There they all were, waiting to send me off in style. 

The student sitting beside me looked at me and asked, “Do you know them?” 

“Yes, they are my friends,” I whispered with a smile. 

I remember her looking on with an envious expression, and I later learned on our trip home that her experience was quite different from mine. 

 

At that moment, I realized how fortunate I was to have lived where I did for that year. I was grateful for the strong bonds formed with people who were once strangers living thousands of miles across a whole ocean. I could have been placed anywhere in Portugal to spend my year abroad, but God put me exactly where I needed to be in a small town that became my home. That became evident as I waited for the plane to take off. I looked at those smiling faces and knew how blessed I was. 

 

On that final day in Portugal, I felt so loved and so grateful for that year abroad, during which I did indeed grow up. 

 

As I think about it years later, it was not just luck that I ended up where I did. That year, those connections, those experiences, and those people were all part of my life’s master plan. 

 

Do you ever take the time to think about your experiences and the impact others have on you? 

When you think about your different seasons in life, do you think about the people who were there? 

 

As I think back to that year and that particular day in Portugal, all those faces fill my memory bank—the kindness they expressed to me, the help they extended to me, the lessons I learned from them, the laughter we shared, and the adventures we went on. There are so many memories that I have cherished for several years. It has been quite a long time since I have seen them face to face. But I know it will feel like I never left when I return. That is how much of an impact they left on my life. 

 

So now, twenty-plus years later, with this experience and so many others behind me, I think about what I would tell my younger self. 

 

Dear Younger Self, 

When you meet someone, allow them to be seen as if they are the only person with you. Take the time to learn from them. Take the time to listen to them. Don’t worry about trying to be perfect. Just be with them. Let them know what they mean to you. Celebrate them. Thank them. Laugh with them and just be present. Leave an impact where they can look back years from now and see you. They can remember you fondly and know that you cared for them. Make them feel welcome. 
Don’t worry about the time. Just spend it wisely with them. Share adventures and conversations. Let them see the authentic person and, in turn, honor their authenticity. 
Leave an impact like my Portuguese friends who took the time to send me off in such a sentimental way. 
Leave an impact that makes people yearn to see you again. 
Leave an impact that brings a smile to someone’s face. 
Leave an impact that lasts a whole lifetime. 

Please take advantage of your time with someone and enjoy it like it is your last opportunity. 

 

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