Forgive the crudeness of this explanation, but I’m grateful for all the “non-flashy” people who have made a lasting impact in my life. If this has happened to you, too, chances are, these people aren’t the neighbors, co-workers, family members or friends your world typically revolves around. These aren’t people you try to impress. Sometimes you don’t even know their name.

It’s the Brother in your ward who takes you grocery shopping after you have surgery and revolutionizes the way you shop ever after. It’s the new roommate who recommends a personal hygiene item that really works, and from then on, you don’t buy anything else! It’s the relative who whips up a recipe one day that becomes one of your go-to dinners decades later; it’s the friend you visit who introduces a new game that becomes not just your favorite, but a staple for your whole family for years to come; it’s the perfect stranger who’s simple greeting renews your hope in humanity during a tough time; it’s the student who gets excited during an average classroom lesson you’re teaching and makes you excited to be a teacher. It’s the Bishop’s son in your singles ward who asks out the cashier from Target, and when they get engaged, you have renewed faith that there truly are awesome guys out there and romance is still alive. And it’s a stand partner who mentions in passing an apparently accepted rule of violin technique that you never heard of, but changes the way you play from that point on. Such positive impact from such ordinary folks!

These “non-flashy” people spread their influence in quiet ways. But the difference is felt, seen, and heard, and will impact me for a lifetime—probably beyond.