Meet Dani - the newest member to the IDEAS office team! She will be regularly contributing to the IDEAS blog.

When you're not the life of the party, how do you make an impression on a short-term trip?

I have been on a few trips in my life. They've been to various places all around the world,Uganda, Italy, Jamaica. I'm the type of person that requires getting to know people for a while before I can truly be myself around them. So, if I go on a three-week trip, it is likely that I would not form any deep bond. I am not the loud and funny one in the group. This leads me to questions like, "can I even make an impression?"

I have learned that questions like these do not matter when you are trying to get to know someone.  Making an impression is not a competition. God has given each person a unique and different gift that they can use in a way that no one else can. It is not my role  to be loud and crazy. No, it is my job to to just be me. Sometimes God gives us roles that are behind the scenes and other times at center stage. If you feel like you cannot make an impression or you are not connecting with anyone, hang in there.  I promise that there is a role for you that is relevant and good.

Dr. John Maxwell says, "People will not always remember what you said. They will not always remember what you did. But, they will always remember how you made them feel." People need for you to be yourself because that is the best that you can be. You will have the greatest impact on others when you truly care about them and show them in the best way you can; whether that is through making them laugh or just sitting next to them in silence to let them know that someone cares.

How do you connect with people on a short-term trip?