Sometimes influence is just for a season.

A few years ago, I got to sit next to George W. Bush at a lunch. My two goals were not to say anything stupid and not to knock over any of the crystal glasses.

But he told the story of his last day in office as President Obama was inaugurated. 

“I arrived at The White House that morning with my full entourage…a dozen black SUVs and limos. Secret Service everywhere. Streets shut down for my safe and smooth arrival. We walked in through the main entrance, and everyone was honored to shake my hand.”
“I passed the baton to Barack. And two minutes later, I left through the side door of the kitchen. I opened my own door to our single SUV and he took us home. That was that he laughed.”

I thought to myself, he drove up as arguably one of the most influential men in the world. And he drove away as an almost regular guy, a past President.

And it occurred to me that day that some of us are given positions of influence. People care what we think. They laugh at our jokes. And we have the power to influence important decisions that affect the lives of others. And then, later, that influence gets passed to the next person. I made a promise to myself that day to make the most of the influence that had been given to me, to honor it, to use it for good and be able to look back on it someday with gratitude. 

All that AND I didn’t knock over any crystal glasses. That’s a good day.