I remember when I was in grade school, fifth to be exact, and it was as if suddenly someone somewhere in some agency counted backwards and realized that MY class was going to actually graduate in 2000. Now, this might not seem like that big of a deal nearly a decade later, but at the time it was a HUGE deal.
Tied to this realization was an idea of the "Smoke-Free class of 2000" and with it an increased focus on a "new" program called D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). Eventually I learned the 8 ways to say no and would move on to become a D.A.R.E Role Model and tell other students the importance and value of living a substance-free life.
A few years ago, there was a series of TV commericals that came out trying to help students visualize this same concept and at the end of them was a saying "above the influence". Tied into this idea was the idea of rising above the peer pressure and giving in to the societal pressures we face.
It got me to thinking... what is influence? Is influence bad? If it's not always bad, what can we do to get a positive influence(s) in our own lives and what can we do to BE a positive influence in the lives of others?
What kind of influences are you allowing to effect your life? What kind of effect does your influence have on others?