Often times there are people in our lives that watch us and decide that we are "cool", "worthy of following", and they want to be "just like us".
You can be the person at the counter at McDonalds and this same teenage kid comes in every day after school to get a burger and fries. He decides that you are who he wants to be like. After all, you do have the cool hair, the right watch, and killer shoes. You make him laugh with your antics of making fun of other customers, dropping someones food on the floor and putting it on the bun, and taking smoke breaks out back way too often.
Whether you realized it or not, you just led that boy down the same path.
On the other hand, you can be the kid, or young adult at Walmart checking people out at the register. This Walmart is around the corner from the young mans house so he comes in all the time to check out the video games and buy some chips or gum. He just so happens to come to your check out line A LOT. After all, you have all of the cool hair and clothes remember?
He sees you being polite, even with the belligerent woman who is in front of him in line. You even put her groceries in her basket for her and tell her to have a wonderful day.....WITH A SMILE. He asks you why you didn't just tell her off. He is amazed at your answer. "We all have bad days at times. I don't know what this lady is going through in her life. Obviously its something terrible and she doesn't need me to add to her pain. Besides, its better to do whats right and then sleep good at night, don't you think?"
You never see this kid again, but he was so impressed with you and with your actions that he carries that with him the rest of his life and it is the one thing that gets him promoted throughout his career as an adult.
Point is, we need to always know and be aware that SOMEONE is watching us. Doesn't matter if you are a Doctor, Teacher, Burger Flipper, or Custodian.....you are someones hero...someones example. Someones mom or dad.
Your life does matter. Your actions do matter. Be someone worth following! Be someones Hero.