The Message I Didn’t See Coming
- Feb 28
- 2 min read
The impact of my great uncle’s vision
Most of what we do goes unnoticed.
Most of the seeds we plant grow somewhere we can’t see.
Most of the conversations we have ripple far beyond our awareness.
Recently, I received a message from two former clients, Amy and Molly. Their podcast is called “Meet Me in the Penthouse.” A couple years ago, I helped them launch it. They landed in the top 5 percent of global podcasts within the first month. We worked together, editing and building their show, for over a year.
Life gets in the way. We get busy. Time passes.
Out of nowhere, Molly reached out to share that their podcast had just been picked up by a global media company. They were beyond themselves, shocked, thrilled, deeply grateful.
We jumped on Zoom to celebrate.
She kept saying, “This is because of you.”
Over and over again.
Of course, it feels good to hear that your work has had impact. But I reminded them, it’s because of you. You stayed consistent. You trusted the process. You committed. You showed up when it wasn’t glamorous.
Still, I allowed myself to receive it.
Because what moved me most was not the praise.
It was the reminder about impact.
Impact is rarely visible in real time.
We impact through an act of kindness.
We impact through encouragement.
We impact through our indifference.
We impact through a careless comment.
We impact through our consistency.
We impact through our presence.
Always through our actions.
Every interaction leaves something behind.
And we don’t always get to see what it becomes.
Today, in our family chat, one of my cousins shared a beautiful photo of our farmhouse in Galicia. My great uncle designed the landscapes of the surrounding areas. He strategically planted trees, built three man-made lagoons, and envisioned how everything would unfold over time.
After more than a month of rain in Galicia, everything is lush and alive again. My cousin commented on how beautiful it all looks and how amazing the impact one person’s vision can have, despite the fact that he’s no longer alive.
Yet his vision is still shaping our experience.
We are still living inside his impact.
That is what impact does.
It unfolds long after we’ve moved on from the project, the room, the season, and even our life.
If you pause for a moment, you might think of someone who has impacted you in ways they may never fully understand.
If you’d like to hear me share the full story and reflection in more detail, you can listen to the short episode on The Courage to Be here:
For now, let this land.
Your life is leaving a mark.
Your actions are leaving impact quietly, powerfully, beyond what you can measure.
And someone, somewhere, is living differently because you showed up for them.
With love and courage,
Tania ❤️💫
Comments