What Is Your “Angelina Effect”? Find Your Gift Inside
This morning as I was in the gym watching the morning news shows from the corner of my eye while working out, I noticed that they were all doing stories highlighting “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” I actually stopped my workout to read the subtitles of a story entitled “The Angelina Effect.” When I retuned home, I couldn’t help but google it. According to a recent study, after Angelina Jolie’s announcement that she had undergone a prophylactic double mastectomy because she tested positive for mutation of the BRCA1 gene that significantly increases the risk of breast cancer, more women with family histories of breast cancer have undergone counseling and gene testing. The author of the study also added that the women getting tested said that Angelina Jolie was part of their motivation to get tested.
I guess I had thought about the fact that Angelina Jolie had an impact on society in terms of raising awareness on international adoptions. And for those of us who follow the red carpet, she definitely was a trend-setter when it came to thigh-high slits in the front of dresses and especially black gowns! But until I heard about the phenomenon of the “Angelina Effect,” I never thought about the influence and magnitude of her being so open about her health issues.
Granted, high-visibility people or celebrities like Angelina Jolie have the ability and star power to reach a wide range of people, but with social media the way it is, we all see stories on a daily basis about people leaving huge tips at restaurants, paying for the meals of everyone in the line at a drive-through, or doing some random act of kindness or inspiration. I see it on a regular basis in the group calls and workshops I lead. A participant shares something about their life or some pearl of wisdom they have realized and it touches the heart and soul of another listener, forever changing their life.
The fact is we all have the ability to be the ripple! We all have the ability to be the catalyst for motivation or to play the part of a game-changer in the life of one other or many! As one of the most important influencers in my life, Debbie Ford, said in her book The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse:
“You are here to manifest the glory of the Divine in a way that will serve your own soul and serve the evolution of other souls as well. What you do and how you do it matters. What you choose to dedicate your time to matters, not just for you but for all those who are affected by the withholding or the deliverance of your unique gifts. You may not believe you have anything special to give, but this is just not the case. It’s the ego’s voice disguising itself as a trusted friend. But you don’t have to listen to it. Your gift is precious, needed and yours to be shared and enjoyed. It is not only for the fulfillment and satisfaction of your soul but to aid all others in their evolution as well!”
Although it is easy to shine our light on someone like Angelina Jolie, I am going to suggest that she is actually there to serve as a mirror for each one of us to reflect our inner light! Each of us has an amazing treasure chest inside of us. It is time you start owning your gifts and knowing that the world, your book club, the person standing next to you in the grocery store line, your child, or a friend can be forever impacted by the richness of what you have to offer and share. So this week I want to inspire you to be the ripple. You have no idea what or how far your ripple effect can be!
Transformational Action Steps
1. Identify a gem inside of you! Think of something that inspires you or has taught you something. It may be an important lesson that you have learned, wise advise your received from another, some mantra that you tell yourself, or a powerful action or profound ritual that you engage in regularly.
2. Share it with at least one other person.
3. Take time to journal about what it felt to share it and how it could impact the life of that person or the lives of many. Really think about the ripple effect you could have!
4. Accept our gift to you (in the upper right corner of the sidebar). This transformational exercise is designed to guide you to find your inner light which will spark your “Angelina Effect!”
