We’re All Influencers — Whether We Realize It or Not

We live in a world today where social media has touched—and changed—just about every part of our lives. Every one of us is impacted by it in some way. It’s a powerful thing, and honestly, it’s a monster that feeds on itself.

Big agencies and big companies spend enormous amounts of money chasing high-profile people to endorse products on social media. They call them influencers. And yes, those people do influence buying decisions. There’s no question about that.

But here’s the thing that hit me one day—and it hit me hard.

You are an influencer.

Every single one of us is.

We influence people by the way we act, the way we talk, and the way we live our lives. And whether we like it or not, we’re always influencing something. The only question is whether that influence is good… or not so good.

Now, I don’t say this from some “holier-than-thou” perspective. Believe me. Every once in a while—and you might find this hard to believe—I lose it. I say something or do something, and thirty seconds later I’m thinking, Oh God, I’m sorry. Why did I do that?

That’s the flesh. That’s being human.

But the important thing is recognizing it, owning it, and taking it back. Because words matter. Actions matter. And people are always watching—especially when you don’t think they are

When people hear the word influencer, they tend to think only about celebrities or social media stars. Someone with millions of followers selling a product because it looks cool. But in everyday life, the real influence happens much closer to home.

Your kids.
Your family.
Your friends.
Your coworkers.

The list goes on and on.

Every conversation. Every reaction. Every choice you make—it touches someone. And that’s not something we should ever take for granted. It’s a big deal

People know that I’m a believer. I’m a Christian, and I try to follow the Word of God. So when I mess up—and I do—it hits me even harder. I think, Why did you do that? You know better.

But that’s life. Growth doesn’t come from pretending we’re perfect. It comes from being honest, learning, and striving to be better tomorrow than we were today.

So here’s my challenge to you.

The next time you look in the mirror, don’t just see yourself. Ask yourself this question:

“Who can I influence in a positive way today?”

Because whether you realize it or not, you already are an influencer. The only thing left to decide is how you’ll use that influence.

From all of us here at Angling Edge, have a great fishing season. And we’ll see you out on the water.