Man is a wonder. So full of possibility, so acutely a master of all things good and evil. Often we gather to push together, our efforts as one more powerful than the sum of the individuals. We chose to go to the moon, not because it was easy but because it was hard. The highest peaks grew shorter under the weight of our snowshoes. The air was forced apart with speed and energy enough for probes to escape the confines of our solar system. And the struggle for so many things continues on the front lines of freedom and liberty.
As a species, our effects are visible to the naked eye from great distances. But often as individuals, we often feel quite invisible. Looking up at the stars and the vastness of the universe can reveal a great emptiness within our hearts. Are we mere specs in space and time? Do we matter as people at all?
Greatness is defined in many diverse ways. Gandhi made his stand against the mightiest power in the world by sitting down non-violently. Bill Gates took an idea and did more to advance human evolution than almost anyone in history. And through it all, men like these chose to break past barriers in the name of that which they loved. They loved an idea of something greater than themselves, something more important than their own short-term happiness.
Of course, to me, my own ideas seem much smaller in scale than defeating the British or putting a personal computer in every home. But they are based on love and it’s love that pushes me. And just as George Bailey learned the expansive positive effect he had over so many people in his life, so I hope my ideas will inspire others, regardless of my credit or knowledge.
There’s a cyclic nature to all things. People rotate in and out of life on this planet constantly. Children are taught just in time for them to not be children anymore. But luckily, we all do what we can to inspire others so that the children of today don’t give up on the children of tomorrow. This holiday season, I hope to convey just one idea to you, my readers. As a species we can continue to move onward and upward, progressing with the power of billions to do great things for our planet and for all mankind. As individuals, we’ve inherited the opportunity and the responsibility do what we can to help and love those around us. Do so.
