Did you just read that and feel ‘its not my life! My life is as bad as it can get. Leader ??? No no I am just another person who can vanish and people won’t notice.’
Almost each of us at a point in time feel ourselves to be worthless. Feel that life would have been better without me than with me. Feel that we are a burden to the family. And that is when we pray only if God could have taken us away from this world. Under the same situations we try to commit the most heinous crime of self destruction.
Before we move any further lets try to imagine what happens if you were not born ? I am sure you are thinking that life would have gone as it is . But no life would have been different in so many ways . Because your life touches many other lives.
The same realization came to George Bailey, protagonist of the 1946 movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. George was about to end his life when he was challenged with a major financial setback in his business. He knew he would be behind bars if he could not come up with the money. At this time the best solution for him appeared was to end his life.
This is when Clarence the angel appeared and he tried to explain to George that his life was so important to people around. George was a deaf ear and so Clarence showed him how life would be different if he wouldn’t be around.
Since George Bailey is not born these are the changes that he sees –
The druggist, Mr. Gower, was imprisoned for manslaughter since George was not around to prevent him from poisoning the pills.
George’s mother isn’t able to recognize him and reveals that uncle Billy is institutionalized after the Building and Loan failed ( since George wasn’t around to take responsibility post his fathers death).
Bailey Park is a cemetery (which George built as a builder)
George discovers young Harry’s (George’s brother whom he saved from drowning) grave in Bailey Park
The soldiers on the transport ship died because Harry did not save them, since George did not save Harry.
George finds his wife Mary, as a spinster librarian devoid of love.
Seeing the bad state of people around, George now wails to go back to his life. Now nothing more matters to him than getting back the same life that he was about to be giving up.
Now he knows how important he is for everyone around him. George has always done his little bit in contributing to the community and people around him. His thoughts for the betterment of others has made him a person of value. And that is what we all can do!
Whoever you are and whatever you do, God has given you enough resources to create a difference in the life of others. To be of value to others and so however trifling you think you are you still have the capability to become significant.
All that you need to consistently do is – add value to others. Make it your agenda every day. Put it in front of you so you are reminded of it . So that you intentionally live your life. And that is all what Leadership is about.
When we think of Leadership we often link it with position. But truly, Leadership is about the service that one can do for the benefit of others. It’s about walking that extra mile to help someone just as George Bailey did, saved his brother from drowing. Gave up his dream to go out and study so that his brother Harry could do so. Build Bailey park so that people could comfortably live. And married Mary and gave her a life of love along with the kids.
God has made us in his own image. We are all gifted with the same attributes as him. It depends on us what we do to make our lives matter to others.
