One of man's most costly mistakes is doubting that he has immediate impact on the web of people surrounding him and, by consequence, the web of people extending beyond his immediate circle.
If humanity realized that each decision taken permanently alters the social fabric, there might be more thought put into those choices. Their significance might increase in the decider's eyes and the incentive to do the right thing might rise a notch, although I suspect that a substantial bit of society wouldn't want to surrender their romantic notion of "just-this-once" that frees them to make whimsical, reckless decisions.
But take George Bailey's life, for instance. Here is a big dreamer who fantasized about shaping his world in a large-scale, visible way (skyscrapers, airports, etc.) and to experience the exotic. He never got the latter nor did he leave a footprint in the ways he intended, but he did undoubtedly shape his world in a tangible way.
Just by doing his best to make the right choices each day, by settling to work in "ordinary" circumstances, he did extraordinary things. By living each day with integrity, he empowered others to live with dignity.
December 24, 2009
Showing posts with label decisions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label decisions. Show all posts
Friday, February 5, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Existential crisis -- sort of
"It might be a quarter-life crisis, just a stirrin' in my soul / Either way I wonder sometimes about a still verdict-less life" (John Mayer)
As I look ahead to the new year and the path I'd like to pave for myself, the one thing I know is that I am still committed to fighting injustice, pushing myself to use the blessings God's given me to do that, and to improving our world.
The uncertainty sets in when I look at the various models I can apply to bring about those changes. Do I use the "mightier" pen to report reality and open the door for others to reform broken systems? Do I dive into crafting storylines to move, console and challenge people with plots and characters? OR do I roll up my sleeves and individually help them one by one? Which scenario better fits my skill set and dreams? The artistic freedom to create but remain at an arm's length from problem-solving, or the gratification of being centrally involved in the process of reform but sacrificing the time to write creatively?
As I look ahead to the new year and the path I'd like to pave for myself, the one thing I know is that I am still committed to fighting injustice, pushing myself to use the blessings God's given me to do that, and to improving our world.
The uncertainty sets in when I look at the various models I can apply to bring about those changes. Do I use the "mightier" pen to report reality and open the door for others to reform broken systems? Do I dive into crafting storylines to move, console and challenge people with plots and characters? OR do I roll up my sleeves and individually help them one by one? Which scenario better fits my skill set and dreams? The artistic freedom to create but remain at an arm's length from problem-solving, or the gratification of being centrally involved in the process of reform but sacrificing the time to write creatively?
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