What Would The World Be Like If You Never Existed?
Last night, I got to watch one of my all time favorite movies, “It’s a Wonderful Life” in spirit of the Christmas season and I realized that there’s a lot to learn from this movie. If you’ve never seen it, then here’s the basic story.
George Bailey is a hardworking banker who considers committing suicide after his uncle loses an $8,000 deposit and his bank is threatened to go bankrupt. Before he jumps to his death, his guardian angel, Clarence rescues him and gives George a preview of what his town would be like with if he never existed.
George ultimately realizes how important he is in the world and despite everything that’s happened to him, he learns to appreciate everything he has. He does the ultimate one-night trial of “What would the world be like without me?” Here’s the ending of the movie…
What the movie ultimately teaches you is that all of us really do have wonderful lives. We shouldn’t take for granted the wonderful opportunities that life presents us. Here are three valuable lessons you can learn from this movie.
- Real Wealth Is Not Something You Can Buy – George’s brother Harry sums this up when he says, “A toast to my big brother, George. The richest man in town” What he meant is not that George is rich because he has a lot of money. What he really meant is George is rich because of the relationships he has. When George was in trouble, he had a whole army of people come out to help him and that is a truly valuable thing. Have you ever stopped to think about the people you know? If you were in the same situation as George Bailey, who would come to your rescue?
- Be ThankFul Everyday, Your Life Really Is Wonderful – Most people in life only appreciate what they have after it’s gone. That’s why when people die, it’s only then that we really understand the impact that they had on our lives. But, what’s stopping you from appreciating what you have everyday. George only realized what he had after he got a glimpse of the world without him. Do you have a nice home, food to eat everyday, and a family that loves you? Be grateful you do, not everyone’s as forunate as you. One thing I learned from the journaling trial is there’s real value in listing things you’re grateful for. What are ten things your grateful to have in your life?
- Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff, You’re Lucky To Be Alive – We all have problems and worries that we encounter everyday. George Bailey almost killed himself over losing money and was so upset that he couldn’t focus on any other solutions. Remeber that whatever happens to you, no matter how big you may think it is, you will survive, you will continue living. Life is a precious thing and despite what happens to us, it doesn’t matter because most things aren’t that important in the long run. George’s guardian angel, Clarence sums it up when he says, “No man is a failure who has friends.” Think about a problem you’re worried about today. Will it really matter in 10 years from now? 20 years? When you die?
We all can’t be as forunate as George Bailey see what the world is like without us, but he’s an exercise you can do with yourself. Imagine that you never existed. What would your world be like? How would the lives of your friends and family be effected? What would happen at every job you’ve ever worked at? Would people have died? Would people be less happy?
Try listing 20 of your greatest accomplishments. How would the world be like if you never did these things? This will really give you an idea of the impact you’ve had on this world and make you realize that you really do have a wonderful life.
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