I have to tell you about Hans’ 26-year-old cousin, Naphtalie. Naphtalie came into our lives when she was about 12 or 13 years old. She and her younger sister, Lauralee, were sent down from Washington to California to help us when baby #5 was born. We became quite close in their early teen years.
But then Naphtalie kind of went her own direction for a season. She didn’t visit as often, and then we moved to Texas. She happened to jump on our website about 6-8 months ago, and listened to one of the radio shows about marriage, of all things. She’s not married, but she was engaged. She heard me talk about marriage, and on that show I had given out a referral of a person to call if someone needed help in that area.
So anyway, she started listening to the radio shows and tapping into some of the content on the website, and we ended up reconnecting very closely.
Naphtalie came and spent a week with us for Thanksgiving, and I have to tell you what happened…
We were getting ready to hop on a plane to head to St. Louis for Creating a Dynasty, and I asked her, "What was your favorite part of your whole trip?" Her answer really stunned me.
I was expecting to hear about the food or all the games or something like that. But what she said to me was so profound. See, you never know when people are watching. You never know what people are paying attention to or what is impacting them about how you live out your life.
With a beautiful smile on her face, looking at me dead in the eyes, she said, "Ya know, I learned so much by seeing the way you and Hans do family."
I jerked my head back and said, "What? Really? What do you mean by that?" She said, "Seriously. You guys are such a close family. You all work together as a team. The responsibilities of the home don’t fall on one person. I’ve always dreaded the thought of getting married, because I never wanted to have kids. I thought it would be so much work and it wouldn’t be rewarding. But after living with you guys this week, I have a whole new perspective."
She continued, "Micah helps you cook dinner, and the boys get up after dinner and start cleaning the kitchen right away, without being asked. Everyone works together with a really good attitude, all laughing and having fun. I love how you play games together as a family. Every meal was shared together. I heard you talking to the boys about their dreams and goals. I just love the way I witnessed family. I mean, I grew up with a lot of kids, but I don’t know that we were close. I’ve been inspired that I could learn how to do this, too. Now I’m considering, maybe I could have kids. Maybe I could have a family. Maybe it wouldn’t be a really hard, horrible burden."
I was just so taken by everything she said.
So I want to encourage you today. People are watching. Whether it’s your cousins, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, neighbors, or people in your community – they are watching you. And your life can truly be a testimony of a good way to live.
If you’ve used the tools that are on our website, especially Magnetic Influence, which shows you how to effectively communicate with people, or GEMS, which really helps you to understand the 4 different personality types and how to motivate them and pull the best out in them, then I want you to know that your life is becoming one that others want to live. When you are able to destroy conflicts and live in harmony with the different types of people living in your home and community, and when there is teamwork, happiness, joy, fun, and good memories together, people see that and they want it.
Naphtalie’s not the type that wants to be a millionaire. She doesn’t have this wild, crazy goal of "I’ve got to make a million dollars in the next 2 years, or I’m a loser." That’s not her focus, and it’s not the focus of the majority of people on the planet today. Most people are just trying to make ends meet, just trying to get rid of their debt, just trying to find happiness.
And I believe there is no happiness quite like a family that is living in harmony. There’s no happiness like using the tools that improve and create such an awesome living experience. Isn’t that what we’re all after? A good living experience? Happiness? Harmony and peace? Good memories?
Master the Power of Influence
We live in the information age and just about all of us have taken some sort of personality test to try and figure out what makes us who we are and why we do the things we do. For most of us, these tests leave us confused, wondering how we can use this information to better our lives and the lives of those around us. What if you could actually USE the results of a personality test to advance your career, restore relationships, close the income gap, feel at home in your own skin, gain confidence that has been just out of reach and figure out what really makes people tick. To learn how to become a powerful influencer, click here.
I was just floored when I heard the things Naphtalie was really paying attention to. And there are people watching you, as well. You have the opportunity to have a massive impact on someone. Seeing the way we use Magnetic Influence and GEMS in our home really changed the way Naphtalie feels about life and her future. Just as it will change the lives of those who are around you.
Each time you practice these skills, you are giving people hope and helping to shape & form a destiny that may have otherwise been buried by pain and confusion and bad experiences.
Your life is a testimony. As people watch what you do and how you live, you will be set apart as a very influential person who greatly impacts other people’s lives.
And by the way, if you enjoyed this, please feel free to pass it along to other people. You can also scroll down to the bottom of this page and tell me what you thought of today’s message. Let me know if these daily letters are helpful for you.
Let’s not just keep this to ourselves. Let’s spread the message. Your life is a testimony, and you are influencing other people’s lives. So make sure you’re leading by the right example that can really impact other people and change the way they think and spur them on to greater dreams and a greater destiny!
In great faith,
Dear Dani,
I understand very well the message you sent today. Anytime we are around people they are watching us and learning from us, either what to do or what not to do. This is especially true of those in positions of responsibility and leadership. I am not surprised in the slightest that Naphtalie looked to learn from you in your home. Even as just a mother of the house hold you have a station of leadership and influence. Add the fact that you are an extremely successful mother, wife, business woman, business owner and community leader, I am not in the slightest bit surprised of Naphtalie’s interest in you and how you ran your house hold. I see how your humility did not allow you to see this, but others views of you are very different. So yes, we are always being watched and more importantly, we are given opportunities to help shape the lives of peoples that we come in contact with. This happens daily whether we are aware of it or not. This is why I have chosen to learn from the skills you offer through First Steps and Creating a Dynasty. When I first started to read First Steps to Wealth I realized that you had laid out very concise, complete and clearly described precepts, that took me over 20 years to figure out as a college coach. These precepts or “Laws of Success” helped me to help others be successful and organizations to succeed and I have so much more to learn. What you offer in First Steps to Wealth is by far the most complete listing of what it takes to succeed. A practical application of the “Laws of Success” with a detailed road map that all interested individuals can follow and gain from. I am sure it has happened to you many times over the years, that someone has come back to you, that you had no idea you had touched, and told you what a dramatic influence you have had in their life outside of your public persona. We all have that privilege given to us by God, every day that we are alive, every time we do something, we are touching someone’s life! The only question is are we equipped to be a positive influence or a negative influence. I choose positive and I also choose to learn from someone that has demonstrated this behavior over and over again. Thanks to you, Hans, your family and your team of loyal supporters (because they are so much more then employees and volunteers!) I can benefit and hopefully be that positive influence that helps to improve the lives of those I touch in my world.
Carlos
Thanks so much for this reminder,Dani! Yes your daily letters are a great encouragement and I’ve been so inspired by your simple life strategies. I’ve been listening to almost all SE broadcasts in 2012 and am blown away at how my relationship has changed with our 3 boys ages 12,11 & 2. Especially after applying the skills we all learned from Gems.
Thank you for sending me your stories and comments, they are a real encouragement to me. They have come at a particularly important time of my life where I am stepping out of my comfort zones and also sharpening new skills that I already have. I believe 2013 will be a significant year for the UK and for our personal lives, if we keep choosing ‘life’. You are a person that has learnt to choose life whatever the circumstance and you have reaped the benefits of that. That really inspires me to push forward and through my fears. Thank you Dani and Huge Christmas Blessings to you and your family this Christmas. Lauren Leigh x
Thank you Dani or sharing these daily letters. They are such an encouragement. Being apart of the DJC community is such a blessing. Thank you for mentoring us, and letting us learn from you. I have found someone that has what I want and I am learning from them.
Dani.please keep the messages coming, they always find a way to keep me going thru this wilderness time in my life,looking forward to the day that we can break out on the other side and have a positive impact on the community around us.
Wow Dani! I am so thankful to our God for The Johnson Family. I did read the Story of Naphatalie and l am inspired to keep moving forward with learning how to influence for good. Just this morning I was faced with a challenge of maintaining peace within my home and within myself and thought I need help! So I thank you for GEMS, I will be studying these strategies.
What a wonderful story. I need to learn how to be a light of the world. I’m usually a darkness to the world.
Wow Dani, Jesus is lord! Just yesterday I sent a message to you after I read what you wrote about the importance of being thankful. I also asked you to pray for some painful obstacles overseas. Not everything is solved Dani but I had not one not two not three not four but five issues solved and with forgiveness invloved. Even got to pray for favor for peace during important dicussions and it was absolutely God’s favor and the power of prayer and again I get to give God all the glory. Dani I am sending you this message to encourage you and let you know how grateful I am to have a sister in Christ like you and a brother in Christ like Hans. You guys actually care for others. I felt like I was hanging on a thread and all I knew was God I need your mercy and your favor in Jesus name in a totally isolated situation for my son and I. Dani there is so much more now that I am looking forward to many more impossible situations that God is going to make possible. I am going to continue to remember you and Hans praying over Logan and I. That in itself was a miracle and favor from God. He is the I am and I am going to continue to thank Yah for all the things he has already done for me and this time my head is no more going to be down. I read what you said about having a grateful heart and I started to thank him for a lot of things right down to my toes because it is a priviledge to walk. You know at first I had a blank thought when I read your encouraging message and I was feeling so dizzy and as I started to talk out loud and thank him for anything I could think of like for being able to smile and that we were not totally stranded and that we have a bible, suddenly forgiving people who were being very controlling and manipulative got easier and asking God to bless themgot easier too. Dani I want you to know I feel like a kid . I felt his love. Not only did only God can give me the strength to love some people when they were hurtful but he also gave me a supernatural ability to stay calm and reemember when you said remain calm even when things are overwhelming. Basically don’t panic. It stuck in my head. So Dani I just want you to know how thank ful I am that I met you and Hans. The culture I am in is different but I have tried to fill myself up with all your encouragements and reading the word. God says he will never , never leave me and that if I call unto him he will answer me and show me great and mighty things I don’t know, so I figure that means whereever I am and that if I have faith it pleases him. I don’t want to fear what man can do to me I just want to please my father in heaven. Pray these situations will allow me to get closer to God and that his love will get stronger in me and my level of forgiveness and compassion will just increase for others reagardless of whetehr they are nice or not. Pray Dani that I can be in a location as a Christian and that God will give me the power to make wealth and that he will show me favor with the people regardless of their believes especially some locations where being a Christian is not so popular. I wanted to run to comfort but I remember what you said and right now I am in this land. I love the people. Thank you Jesus and thank you Dani. Got a few more situations coming around the bend and I am going to jsut keep on trusting God and listening to your encouraging voice ( it makes me feel stronger and loved) and your written messages. I don’t usually read articles due to having to read all the time. Seriously Dani I read both your written messages and I actually finished reading them. It was so healing to even read your messages. Thanks again for all the love and encouragement you give Dani and Hans.