The Reality of Relevance and Influence - Bonus Nugget

In this episode of the "No Time to Waste" podcast, The Reality of Relevance & Influence , Marcus Murray delves into the profound concept of influence and relevance in our lives. He explores how relationships, rather than accomplishments, grant us access to future opportunities. Marcus emphasizes the importance of nurturing human capital and the seasons of life, urging listeners to invest in meaningful relationships and cultivate influence through consistent character and integrity. Join Marcus as he shares insights on living each moment to the fullest and the timeless value of influence.

Transcript

welcome out to the No Time to Waste podcast studio. I'm your guide Marcus Murray and I want to open with a brief monologue. There's a moment that comes for every man and every woman. It's quiet, almost unannounced. When you realize the phone doesn't ring the way it used to. Not because people are angry and not because you failed, but because the seasons have shifted, and you didn't realize when the shift happened. You're still capable, wise, experienced, valuable, but influence is no longer assumed. It must be recognized, renewed and relationally maintained. Here's the unsettling truth that most people learn far too late. You can spend your whole life building skill, success and substance... and wake up one day to discover that none of it gives you access anymore. Why? Because access is not granted by accomplishment. It's granted by relationship. And relationships have seasons. Some expire quietly. Some go dormant. Some require intentional renewal. And some, if you steward them, become the very currency

that buys your next chapter. What I want you to think about as we go through today's episode, it's simple, but it's profound and slightly uncomfortable. If your current season ended today, how much influence would actually carry forward with you? Not your resume, not your titles, not your past wins.

Because there is one reward that outlives success. One form of wealth that compounds even when the body slows down. One asset that follows you into the next season if you protect it. We'll come back to that at the end of this episode.

Now the reality of relevance is serious. And I took a look at a definition that I'd like to share with you for irrelevance. I think that's the best place to start. An irrelevant person is someone who's not connected or important for a specific topic, situation or task. Their presence, their opinion, their input doesn't matter.

making them extraneous or beside the point. It means they lack relevance to a discussion or purpose at hand, whether it's due to lack of skills, being in the wrong place, or simply not being a part of a meaningful group. What else does that mean? That they're not pertinent, their comments or presence doesn't relate, they're unimportant, unessential, not necessary, unconnected.

They have no bearing or link to the issue at hand, So what do you call an irrelevant person? Frivolous, immaterial, inconsequential, insignificant?

meaningless, negligible, null, trivial, unnecessary, useless, worthless, weak. Well, there's a reality to relevance and it's very important that we understand that it's a sign during seasons in life. We have to steward the seasons of our lives very, very carefully, mobilizing the assets from each season and the assets I would submit to you are the human capital.

the human relationships that we build in each season of our lives. And the way that we cultivate influence consistently is by looking for ways to help others, not focusing on our needs, our wants, our desires, but making the personal sacrifice of investing in other people. That is how we cultivate and create influence.

The greatest thing that we can give a person is not actually money, although the world will tell us money is so important. The Bible actually teaches us that it's the least of all things. But by giving encouragement, ⁓ support, wisdom, and just kindness to others in their time of need by giving of ourselves and our presence is huge. That is extremely valuable.

and it's an incredible commodity. human capital compounds even faster than financial capital, and we're able to carry human capital into each season of our lives. There is a Bible verse that says, despise not the days of humble beginnings. The reason that that's important is it reminds us that we will all start and

and that's a season. Your starting point is a season. And throughout life, there are various seasons that we go through. The season is simply that. It is not the end. Life though, is actually a compilation of seasons and seasons are comprised of moments. What's incredible is that if we disregard the important moments, the seasons can be corrupted. We have to

nourish, cherish, maintain, and treasure the seasons of our lives. We have to enjoy the season that we're in as we prepare for the season that we're moving into because each and every season brings with it relational currency. The relational currency is actually equity invested and extracted

from people that are present with you in the different seasons along our journey of life. Now, all of this is important because of influence and relevance. We open by talking about the individuals that are irrelevant. How horrible would that be to be considered irrelevant? And how could a person end up in an irrelevant state by

losing influence. Influence, the currency of influence, it has to be utilized. It is a currency. And if it's not active, if it remains dormant, it actually dissipates. And the most tragic thing in life, would say, yeah, I'd say it's one of the most tragic things in life, would be to lose influence. And the only way that you lose it,

is by failing to develop influence. Now, what exactly is it? Is it something that I can buy? ⁓ Can I get it at the Gucci store or the Louis Vuitton store? Can I get it at Somerset Mall? Actually, you can't. The interesting thing about influence, it actually has to be curated over time. Influence is built.

when a person can demonstrate a consistent history of repeated good character. over a period of time consistently where people are able to see that when the going gets tough, you rise to the occasion. That is going to be one of the greatest determinants of character.

And when you've been able to demonstrate healthy character over a sustained period of time, and it's been witnessed by others that you are a person of good character, then influence is definitely the reward. So influence, again, it can't be purchased. it's, it's, it's not loud. Influence is not the loudest one in the room. Influence is quiet.

Influence is stable. Influence is dependable. It's reliable. And actually, influence is unquestioned. And what's interesting about it, you recognize it when you see it. You know it. You don't even, it doesn't have a sign on it. It has an essence to it. And you can recognize. It's almost like the aroma of a good gumbo.

If you've ever had an opportunity to travel to New Orleans and you're in the French quarter, there are a few great restaurants there that actually do some amazing gumbo. The interesting thing about it is you can smell the essence or the fragrance that's inside of the gumbo. And it lets you know without ever tasting it with your, your tactile senses, just through smell, it lets you know.

this gumbo is good and that is how influence works. You can sense it. You see it there. It can't be bought. You just recognize it. Now, why is all of this important? Because future access is actually decided by today's relationships and failure to nurture the right relationships versus the wrong relationships.

could prove to be extremely costly in the future. It's very important that we invest our time and our energy in right relationships, healthy relationships, because we're building for the future. And what wisdom teaches us is to constantly cultivate our relevance because the future is coming.

Now again, the ultimate reward of a life well lived is influence. And I'm going to encourage each person to spend time crafting, cultivating, and developing the character, the behavioral patterns, the consistency to develop extraordinary influence.

And remember we all have seasons of influence and in your season of influence where you've been gifted with that gift of influence failure to use it in your season.

is probably one of the greatest of all the possible tragedies.

Utilize the gift that you've been given you want to be a good steward over the influence that has been granted to you Now as we close I'm gonna turn the time back and I'm going to talk to the little guy that I was I'm actually gonna go back 50 years.

And this is what I would say to that 10 year old son, no matter how hard you try, the one thing you cannot stop is the ticking of the clock. Time passes for us all and it won't stop. The way to ensure a successful life is not to rush through the moments of life, but to live each one to the fullest.

Invest time, faith, prayer, and encouragement into the lives of those who surround you now and the future will always be kind to you. Son, never envy anyone's success in their season, but celebrate with them because your season is coming. Enjoy the joys and the blessings that come with youth because you will never see them again.

Live each moment like it's a gift. Always be fully present and listen more than you speak. Make few promises and always keep your word. Be kind, reliable, helpful, dependable and fully present and life will reward you with influence.

Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the No Time to Waste podcast and we look forward to seeing you now. Let's go seize the day. Make it a great one.