Lost Thoughts: What impact do I want to have on others or the world?
- The Lost Card
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Feeling lost can be overwhelming, but asking yourself the right questions can help clarify your thoughts and guide you toward a path of self-discovery and direction.
Diving deeper into the question “What impact do I want to have on others or the world?” invites you into one of the most meaningful kinds of self-reflection. It’s not just about what you want to do. It’s about who you want to be, how you want to show up, and what kind of legacy you want to leave behind, whether big or small.
To help you find out what impact you want to have, we prompt you to reflect, discover and practice.
Start with Your Emotions
Ask yourself what breaks your heart, what lights you up, or what frustrates you about the world. These emotional reactions are clues. If injustice angers you, maybe your impact lies in advocating for equity or fairness. If loneliness or disconnection moves you, perhaps your purpose involves creating spaces where people feel seen and included. Pay close attention to what stirs something in you. It often points to the kind of change you care about most.
Reflect on the People You Admire
Think about people who inspire you. What kind of impact have they made? Is it their courage, their creativity, their kindness, or their ability to challenge systems and speak truth? Reflecting on the traits or legacies of others can illuminate the values you hold dear and the kind of difference you want to make. What about their story resonates with you? What would your version of that look like?
Look at Your Natural Strengths and Gifts
The impact you’re meant to have often lives at the intersection of what you care about and what you’re good at. What comes naturally to you? Are you a great listener, a thoughtful problem-solver, a creative thinker, or someone who brings calm into chaos? Ask yourself how those strengths could serve others. You don’t have to become someone else to have impact, sometimes it's about using your own unique qualities with greater intention.
Visualise the Ripple Effect
Imagine a single day where you live in total alignment with your ideal impact. What does it look like? How are you interacting with people? What are you creating, giving, or contributing to? How do people feel after they’ve spent time with you? Visualising your daily ripple effect, rather than just a grand end-goal, can make the idea of impact more tangible and grounded in the present.
Ask Legacy-Oriented Questions
If you’re comfortable with a bit of depth, try asking yourself questions like:
What do I want to be remembered for?
If I disappeared tomorrow, what kind of void would I hope I left?
What values do I want to pass on—through my actions, my work, or my presence?
These aren't easy questions, but they often reveal quiet truths that live beneath the surface. You might discover that your impact isn’t about doing something huge, but rather being deeply consistent in how you show love, courage, or truth in everyday life.
Listen to the Small Nudges
Sometimes your impact whispers instead of shouts. It could be a recurring idea that keeps tugging at you, a conversation you can’t stop thinking about, or a dream you keep putting off “until the right time.” Listen to those nudges. They’re usually pointing toward the direction your soul wants to go.
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” ― Jackie Robinson
Experiment with Action
You don’t need to have a perfect vision of your impact to begin living it. Try small, intentional acts that align with the kind of difference you want to make. Write something honest. Offer help. Share your voice. Create space for someone else to feel seen. Often, clarity comes through action. By showing up for the kind of impact you think you want, you start to learn what feels most real and meaningful for you.
Align your choices
And it’s not just about legacy in a distant sense. Thinking about the impact you want to have brings purpose to your present. It invites you to align your choices, your work, your relationships with that deeper intention. When you live in alignment with the impact you want to make, life feels fuller, richer, and more grounded. You begin to measure success not just by accomplishments, but by how deeply and sincerely you’ve lived.
Exploring your desired impact isn’t about pressure, it’s about purpose. It’s about reconnecting with your “why” and letting that shape how you move through the world. And remember: your impact doesn’t have to be loud or visible to be powerful. Sometimes the most lasting change begins quietly, in the way you choose to live, love, and lead.
Why is it important to ask what impact you want to have on others or the world?
Asking yourself “What impact do I want to have on others or the world?” is a powerful and grounding question, one that invites you to move beyond the surface of daily life and connect with a deeper sense of meaning and direction. In a world that constantly encourages us to chase success, productivity, or external validation, this question shifts the focus inward. It asks: What really matters to me? What kind of energy, presence, or legacy do I want to leave behind?
One of the biggest reasons this question is important is because it helps you live with intention. It’s easy to get caught up in habits, routines, or paths that don’t actually align with who we are. But when you’re clear about the kind of impact you want to have, whether that’s bringing joy to others, building community, inspiring change, or simply being kind, you start to live more deliberately. You begin to shape your life around your values, and that brings a deeper sense of fulfilment.
It also provides clarity during times of confusion or doubt. When you’re unsure what step to take next, asking yourself what kind of difference you want to make can act like a compass. It reminds you of your “why.” This is especially important in challenging moments. A clear sense of impact gives you something steady to return to.
On a relational level, reflecting on your impact helps you cultivate more meaningful connections. When you’re intentional about how you want others to feel around you, whether that’s supported, inspired, understood, or safe, you begin to show up more consciously. You communicate with care. You act with integrity. You make choices that not only serve your own growth, but also contribute to the well-being of others.
And beyond the personal, this question holds weight because it positions you within something larger than yourself. It reminds you that even small, everyday actions can create ripples. That you don’t have to change the whole world to matter, you just have to be true to the part of the world you can touch. That might be your family, your friends, your community, your creative work, or even strangers whose lives are brightened by a single act of kindness.
Ultimately, asking yourself what impact you want to have turns your life into more than a checklist of tasks. It becomes a living expression of your values, your story, and your hope for the world. It invites you to live with presence, with purpose, and with heart.
Follow The Lost Card: Lost Thoughts for more questions to help you find yourself and process your thoughts, emotions and motives. "Lost Thoughts" is a thoughtfully crafted series of questions designed to guide you when you’re feeling a bit adrift. Its purpose is to prompt deep reflection on your emotions and thoughts, helping you gain clarity and understanding. By exploring your inner self, you can foster a stronger connection with who you are and make meaningful improvements to your lifestyle.
Comments