How much influence do you have?

Have you ever wondered how persuasive you are or how easily people can convince you to do something? Well, now is your chance to see how influential you can be on those around you, and how often they influence you.

"We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why.”
– Stephen King

1. Have you ever found yourself in a bad or uncomfortable situation with your group of friends?
   1. No, if I don’t want to do something, I’ll just bail.
   2. Yes…it’s hard to say no sometimes!
   3. Yes, but not because I wanted to.
2. Do you use justifications like “but everyone is doing it” and “what’s the worst that could happen?” to help you make decisions on what to do?
   1. No, I usually suggest what my friends and I do.
   2. Well sometimes, you know #YOLO.
   3. Sure – I don’t want to be the only person who doesn’t try something out!
3. Do you change the way you act when you are with a certain group of your friends?
   1. No, I am who I am – no matter who is around.
   2. Sometimes, but I usually act the same way.
   3. Yes, who doesn’t? You have to change for certain people right?
4. Do your friends look to you to decide plans for the weekend?
   1. Yes, people often look to me for ideas.
   2. Sometimes, but they don’t always agree.
   3. Not really – usually I just go with the flow.
5. Have you ever made something up because you were worried your friends would laugh at the truth?
   1. Nope! I don’t care if they laugh at it.
   2. A couple times…there are some things my friends don’t need to know.
   3. Sure I have – no one wants to be laughed at, right?  
6. If you see one of your friends doing something you don’t agree with (like stealing or picking on someone), how do you react?
   1. I would often tell them to smarten up!
   2. I would most likely just leave and not be a part of it.
   3. I try not to tell people they are wrong, I may just stay and not jump in.
7. If you needed to make a tough decision, would you ask your friends for help?
   1. Not really, I can often figure out the issue on my own.
   2. Sometimes. It depends on what the decision is.
   3. I will often ask and will almost always agree with their suggestions.
8. When you and a friend have a disagreement you usual...
   1. Argue until you win the conversation.
   2. State your point, but usually realize it’s not worth the argument.
   3. Let it slide – you’d prefer not to have people mad at you.  

If you picked mostly A’s:
You are a leader; your friends look to you for guidance. Whether you mean to do so or not, the decisions you make can persuade others. You have the power to influence others to do good and make the right choices; be sure to take that opportunity.

If you picked mostly B’s:
You are a mediator, or bystander. You often try to stay in the middle, and make sure everyone around you is happy. But, you can also have a lot of influence. It often only takes one person to say something for the group to follow. So be the deciding vote if your friends are going down a road you’re not comfortable with.  Your level of influence can help the group turn the other way.

If you picked mostly C’s:
You are someone who goes with the flow. You don’t like controversy or arguments, so you often just keep quiet, even if you don’t agree on the inside. But… remaining quiet may sometimes get you into situations you don’t want to be in. Know that it often only takes one person to speak up to influence the decisions of those around you. So speak your mind, and others will follow suit!

Use your level of influence to lead others, especially your friends. You have the ability to be a leader, so go ahead and use your voice.