Everything You Do Impact Others

As I continue to talk about the community of women, I must bring attention to those things that may hinder our support for one another. I think that it is important to address the  gap in the rapport between young and more seasoned women. This could be the relationship between mother and daughter, sisters, employers and employees, and even friends.

The main topic of discussion in this matter is "Actions". A person's actions say a lot about who they really are, right?  When decisions are made-whether informed or uninformed- actions happen and impacts are made. Not only do the decisions a person makes have an impact on their lives; but they impact the lives of others that care about them. Oddly enough, actions can also impact people lives in which there is no direct contact.

Impact can be seen as a double-edged sword.
It can improve lives: or it can ruin lives.

Scenarios for Our Actions....

A mother of four uses recreational drugs. She may or may not realize the impact that her actions has on the well-being of her family.  In her mind, she is probably thinking that she is an adult and has the right to decide if she wants to enjoy taking these drugs into her system. Technically, she is right. She does have the right. But, let's examine the impact......

• Her household is a continuous food insecure household because she supports her habits more than her children. She sells her food stamps for cash. Her children are hungry. She leaves them in the care of others consistently. She is always moving from place to place because of the inability to pay her rent. The impact of her actions result in child endangerment and the threat of her children being taken away because of child abuse, abandonment, and  neglect.  Moreso, teens and young adults-she may not know-  are observing her actions. They are taking notes. They may not be aware of the impact but definitely notice her actions. Direct and indirect impact. 

A teacher in an elementary school sees a child that may need additional help to learn and becomes impatient with her. Instead of getting her the appropriate help she needs, she calls her stupid, ignores  her requests, and talks to her as if she doesn't matter. This teacher is an adult, right? Technically, she has the right to call as she sees it. But, let's examine the impact.......

• The child stops believing in herself. She stops trying to do well in her  lessons and in school. She leaves her  homework at school. She consistently makes bad grades. Other girls in her class are watching; and they believe in the teacher as an authority figure, so they think that it is acceptable to call this student names as well. She falls behind even in other grade levels. She barely graduates from high school. When she goes out into society, she does not have the necessary skills to maintain a job and to sustain life. The impact of this teacher's actions has ruin the future of a child that could have been a doctor, lawyer, or the president of the United States. Direct and indirect impact.

A young adult is often defiant to her parents. She rejects their wisdom. She listens to others and consistently makes bad decisions. She is introduced to other things that will cause her to be faced with the circumstances for the rest of her life.  She doesn't care that teens are watching. She is an adult and has the grounds to make these decisions and walk along whatever paths she desire, right? But, let's examine the impact.....

• Her parents go into debt to pay for legal fees. They are her main source of income as she has to provide for her child. They have to rear her child because she needs to go to rehab or have left the child alone on more than one occasion. Her child is now being raised in poverty. Moreso,  those impressionable teens are watching. They may be unaware of the pain and suffering that the  parents and child faced. They may only notice how comfortable the young adult was  in making her decisions.  Direct and indirect impact.

 What if we really considered the adage, "think before we act". 

• We as women and  people can make more informed decisions.
• We will have the power to articulate and to communicate with each other about our concerns as well as our actions.
• Parents can connect with their children and young adults regardless of the generation gaps.
• Young adults and teens can connect with their parents and others regardless of their desire to gain independence and freedom.
• Parents can respect their children abilities to make informed decisions.
• Teens and young adults become more esteemed and confident in making decisions and trusting their own judgments.
• This process becomes contagious.

Your actions matter.