Who are TWO People Who Have Made a Huge Difference in Your Life?It's hard to imagine myself without my two greatest influences
Everyone in our lives influences us in some way, though of course some people leave a larger mark than others. Our friends, family, co-workers, teachers, and others we meet impact us. And then there are those people who we may never meet: folks that we come across in books, TV, the movies, and even social media (or hey, Substack!). But I’m curious: If you had to pick just two people who have influenced you the most, two people who have played a large part in shaping the person that you are today, who would you choose? They might be alive or dead. They may have changed your life, and yet will never know it. Hell, they might even be a fictional character! Who are they? What part did they play in transforming you? Comment below. I’m sure that it comes as no surprise that the number one influence in my life for the past 30 years has been my wife Danielle. I truly mean that. She has never expected me to be something that I am not. She has always believed in me. Even as I type these words, my eyes are misting up. Because I’m so grateful that she loves me.
But there are two people who I’ve never met and never will who also made a huge impact on me: Carl Sagan and Christopher Reeve.Why? Carl Sagan: I grew up in the 70s and 80s, and as I gradually became aware of Sagan I was more and more intrigued. I loved how Sagan had this absolute joy of learning, especially when it came to astronomy and astrophysics. It would take way too long to list all of the ways that reading his work changed (and delighted!) me, but certainly the most dramatic was in the way he taught me to think. I was on the path, but his book The Demon-Haunted World was where it all coalesced. The Demon-Haunted World is a book, more than anything, on how to think, and how to arrive at the truth about life, the universe, and everything. And in today’s world, where truth seems to be devolving into what people want to believe, it’s a book that is more important than ever.
Christopher Reeve: Well, of course it all started with Superman. Kal-El is the most powerful man in the world, and what does he do with that power? He helps people. He’s kind. He’s polite. He doesn’t show off; he has nothing to prove. Reeve couldn’t really fly or bounce bullets off his skin, but he seemed as kindhearted and humble as Superman — and he felt that anyone who played that character had a responsibility to be an example in real life. Marian Seldes once said that she never “never knew anyone as beautiful who was less egotistical.”
And he gave me a perspective that I truly needed. I mean, look: I’ve been through some hard things in my life, but Christopher Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down. And instead of “checking out,” instead of feeling sorry for himself, he never gave up. And over and over I thought, “If he can do it, I can do it.” As Reeve himself said:
That’s the kind of man that I always want to be. A man who finds the strength to “persevere and endure,” no matter how overwhelming the obstacles may be, and through it all, still manages to be grateful for the good things in his life. SO: who are your two heroes? Those two people who have shaped you the most? Comment below. P.S. Please take three minutes to watch the trailer below, all the way to the end. You’ll see what I mean. And check out Christopher Reeve’s books: Still Me and Nothing is Impossible (both audiobooks are narrated by Reeve).  You’re currently a free subscriber to Mike’s Substack. And that’s just fine! But if you want to support me for a very low monthly fee, please become a paid subscriber. Extras are coming soon!
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Monday, 29 December 2025
Who are TWO People Who Have Made a Huge Difference in Your Life?
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