Jeff Wang Blog

You don’t always need to inspire someone by being in their face and actively discussing inspiration

You don’t need to motivate people by shouting at them

Sometimes, it’s better to show rather than tell people about influence, and sometimes it can be from afar.

Today I spent the whole day at Universal Studios Singapore and very much enjoyed the rides

But at the end of the day, I watched the Mel’s Dinnets Trio perform (sing and 💃) They were very talented and had great voices and synchronized choreography.

As I looked around at the audience, I saw many people who were enjoying the show, but I noticed particularly many young kids who were just completely in awe (me included). There was a baby who was waddling and bopping to the music, and throughout much of the performance kept trying to walk towards the stage (presumably to bop with the performers!). To my right, there was a young girl subtly grooving to the music and mouthing the words to a song that I didn’t know; she looked like she was really into the music, and was just waiting to break out.

And I thought to myself: one of these kids watching will be inspired by these passionate performers that they will pursue performing arts in the future.

The thing is I’ll never know if my prediction will come true, but I do know that this performance was a great example of a passive influence

They didn’t need to tell us how much they loved to perform; they simply showed us. And they showed their passion and art and skill. I am sure that they inspired a lot of young kids in that crowd that they will never know, nor will they truly know how much influence they have on other people.

I suppose passive influence is the same as being a good role model and leading by example. Isn’t it weird to think how many people you might have influenced in life, yet not have had any real interactions with? How many people have you positively influenced then, by being a good role model for other people?

Are you being a passive influencer?

I posted a short video of the performance + the toddler who was trying to waddle over to the stage (I mentioned in the blog post. She tried to do this several times haha). Check the video down below!

Grateful Day 83: I am grateful for how much effort people put into the entertainment industry (film, acting, dancing, singing, theatre, etc)

Reading Day 24:

I finished reading  Originals, – by Adam Grant. I will do a book review tomorrow!

• Adam Grant, who is rated the best professor at UPenn Wharton’s Business school, is an organizational psychologist who has written several #1 NYT books. In Originals, he discusses how Non-conformists (procrastinators, slow people, and other different personality traits) succeed in life with their increased creativity