The Touchstone of Making an Impact 5

Here’s the true touchstone of whether you are really making an impact or just making noise.

In ancient times, a touchstone was a a black stone used to test the purity of gold and silver by rubbing the metal on the touchstone and checking the color of the streak that was left by the metal.

In other words, it was a comparison that checked whether what you were producing was of real value.

I encourage the people I mentor and coach to develop touchstones to test their goals.

This is a good time to check yourself.

And here is the touchstone …

Will Anyone Notice When You’re Gone?

I’ve been to a lot of funerals and maybe you have too.

The sad truth is that many people are mourned for a week and mostly forgotten.

But some are missed beyond measure.

Go ahead and rub yourself on the touchstone and see what color comes up.

All the best,

Ken McArthur
KenMcArthur.com
jvAlertLive.com
OneDayIntensive.com
TheImpactFactor.com

 

 

 

About Ken McArthur

Ken McArthur is the founder of ConnectLab.live, an AI relationship-intelligence and warm-intro platform that helps founders who are raising find the funds that fit and the people who can introduce them, and helps fund managers connect with the founders they back. He was recently accepted into Harvard Business School Foundry. He also writes Raise Smarter, a daily newsletter on what's really moving in early-stage fundraising. Ken challenges us to realize we ALL have an impact, whether we want to or not, on thousands of people we touch in our day-to-day lives, and he shows that simple things make a HUGE difference. ConnectLab.live grew out of that belief. Connection is the currency of the 21st Century, and the right introduction can change a company's future. Long before ConnectLab, Ken was the popular host of live events that brought together top-level marketers, entrepreneurs, business owners, corporations and non-profit organizations to build multi-million dollar joint venture relationships. He has managed product launches ranked in the top 400 sites on the Internet and is regularly asked to speak at leading marketing events. He created AffiliateShowcase.com, a pioneering affiliate program search engine and directory. He also founded the MBS Internet Research Center, which conducted the world's largest survey ever attempted on creating and launching successful information products. Ken was the official mentor for Sterling Valentine as he took his launch from zero to over $100,000 in less than 8 days, a proof of concept documented in Info Product Blueprint. Today he puts that same skill for connecting people and launching ideas to work for founders and the investors who back them.

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5 thoughts on “The Touchstone of Making an Impact”

  • Steve Parady

    Thank you, Ken! I’ve been thinking about this same subject recently. People need to ask themselves this. Not to be overly morbid, not suggesting you are going to die tomorrow or next month. Just ask yourself, “What kind of legacy am I going to leave the world?” People do want to create positive change, to help others and leave the world better off than they found it.
    Choose your path and take action!
    It’s people like you, Ken, that help us do just that!

    • Ken McArthur

      Thanks so much Steve! It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day reaching, striving and surviving that it’s hard to focus on the bottom-line. If we are valuable to people, we will be missed. If we don’t have real value, we will be gone in this lifetime.

  • Kristi Sayles

    Just went to a funeral of a dear friend the other day. His name was Herschel. He had started our church. His son is our wonderful pastor. Herschel always made sure the bills were paid, the grass was mowed, and the building was in good shape. He rarely missed a service until he got sick. Everybody loved him. His dear wife passed away just six months ago. They made a major impact in our little town-far more than they realized. They weren’t wealthy or famous-but they were known for their integrity and good humor. Herschel enjoyed making people laugh-especially me. I loved his stories. His wife, Nell, was always there when someone needed help or a hug. They are my role models. I honor their memory and will miss them dearly.

  • Bonnie Brooks

    “The sad truth is that many people are mourned for a week and mostly forgotten.” The sad truth is also that many people dealing with depressive illnesses at this time of year would not see much value in themselves if they read that statement while others who see without clouded vision know that those same individuals have made a real impact for good in the world.

    And I’m not sure that I share your perspective as a whole that most are forgotten so soon. Everyone of us has touched lives in ways we don’t even know. Forgotten perhaps in a social media world of tweets and posts or a business world of closing a deal where we have not connected in personal ways? But forgotten by those who have connected with the heart, not likely. My perspective anyway….