Article December 11, 1995 Issue

Do you wonder if you make a difference?

Mark Swinney

"You've been shown a wonderful thing. You've been shown what the world would be like if you had never been born!" These are words from the popular film shown over and over again on television during the holiday season, It's a Wonderful Life. The lead character discovers in dramatic fashion the many ways he has affected the lives of others. Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol also inspires people to examine the way they live—whether they've loved and helped others, or if they've just existed encrusted in selfishness.

Both stories make it clear for the fictional characters to see what is right to do and how to live productively and be loving to others. But how can we be sure we're living the way we should? How can we tell if we're really making a difference?

To find satisfactory answers to those questions we might first ask ourselves, "Who has lived the most wonderful life possible? Who helped others and loved others absolutely unselfishly without ceasing?" There are certainly many famous people throughout history who have lived wonderful lives, and probably many not-so-famous people whom we ourselves know who have made a tremendous difference, at least to us.

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