This can be the forgotten level. People may master Level 1 & live authentically, and even pass Level 2 & chase after true goals. But the consciousness to impact other peoples’ stories as one’s own story is being written is sometimes lacking. This final level is similarly inspired by Inky Johnson’s talk below, and is about writing a story that lasts through impact.

Don’t be so absorbed in writing the story of your life that you negatively alter another person’s story. In Inky Johnson’s talk above (starts at 1:28), he explains a story of a plane ride. Because a passenger on board was having a heart attack, the plane had to make an emergency landing. Many people were so focused on their own journey that they were “peed off, started moaning and groaning” over the news. Most likely, these people were writing their story at the expense of other people’s stories. But when someone masters all levels of writing in indelible ink, (s)he recognizes and values positive actions towards another individual’s story – even if it appears as a hinderance to one’s own story.

Inky Johnson (2:35) – “I’m like I get it – people got things to do, places to be, and people to see – I get it. But somebody’s life is on the line here … Is that where we’ve gotten to as a society to where a destination is more important than another individual’s life? Is that where we’ve gotten to as a society that goals, dreams, and aspiration is more important than another individual’s life? Meaning that in interactions with people now we say, ‘Hey, how you doing?’ but we don’t really mean, ‘Hey, how you doing?’ Meaning that interactions are totally off course in terms of seeing an individual through the lenses of something different and seeing them as this is a person’s soul that I have the opportunity to impact instead of bypass.”

Valuing positive actions towards another individual’s story is key, but being proactive in creating that positive impact is the real task. In the talk above, Inky Johnson explains how he met his childhood football coach (starts at 11:43). The coach went out of his own story, into Inky and his younger cousin’s stories, and made them a part of his story. The coach paid for Inky & his cousins to join his football league, and mentored them after that. The coach knew that in order to write his own story in indelible ink, he had to positively impact others’ stories and bring them into his story – to make it history and not forgotten. And as Inky explains, “it was his essence and who he was as an individual, it wasn’t a front”. The coach understood the connections of life, and how one’s own ink is strengthened as others’ ink is strengthened.

Inky Johnson explaining an interaction w/ the coach (14:51) – “‘Why do you do what you do?’ I said, ‘Because cats around here they don’t live like that. Like it’s always a catch 22 when they do something for you, it’s not genuine. It’s not pure.’ And I said, ‘Why do you live your life that way?’ … And he said, ‘As long as you make sure that somebody else’s life is ok, God will make sure that your life is ok.’ … And the way I processed it was as long as everything I aspire to get – everything I want, everything I’m connected to and everything that I’m a part of – as long as the purpose is always greater than me, I’ll be fine.”

When writing the story of your life, awareness is key. It’s not enough to just be authentic to self and have unwavering commitment to one’s journey. Because this tunnel vision prevents one from seeing other peoples’ stories, and in turn does not maximize one’s own life story. Your story impacts every event, thing, and person around you. This Final Level is about embracing that fact and writing your story with impact in mind. Because if your story is just about you, how long will your ink really last?