It is that time of year again – the time when watching It’s a Wonderful Life and bawling your eyes out is not only appropriate, it is darned well expected.
My personal favorite part of the movie has always been when Clarence, the guardian angel, takes George Bailey on a tour of what could have happened if George had never existed. Person by person, neighborhood by neighborhood, Clarence helps George Bailey trace the outline of his life’s footprint until George realizes that he is not only loved by many but that he has played an integral part in the lives of people he has never even met.
In the era of social media, this resonates particularly strongly.
If you are feeling like your social media presence isn’t doing much, or if you are feeling, as some do during the holidays, like you are just not really getting ahead in your life, take a moment to be your own Clarence. What would Clarence tell you about what your online work has meant to others?
If you’re saying, “Yeck yeck, Clarence wouldn’t have anything to say to me, ” I say au contraire. The thing of it is that as soon as you set foot in the online world, you are a perpetual stream of ripple-creating pebbles into a big pond. Every blog post you write, every tweet you send out, every Facebook status update you post, they all are ripples across that glass surface of the enormous pond of the online world. Maybe your ripple reaches a person who needed to hear just that particular message at that particular moment. Maybe your ripple will reach a person who was trying to figure out the problem you so neatly summarized and solved in your post. Maybe your tweet was the last one that was needed to reach a goal. Maybe your Facebook status update changed a person’s frown into a smile.
Pulling a person back from the edge without knowing it
When I was a kid, a story fell into my hands somehow. It makes this point pretty clearly, so I will share it with you here.
Once upon a time, there was a young man who just could not get on track in his life. He was bullied every day at school. Things were going wrong in his family. His grades were falling. He didn’t like the way he looked. Every day, he just kept getting more and more convinced that there was not a person in the world who cared for him or even noticed he existed.
One day, when it was grey and rainy and cold, the young man was walking his big armful of books back home when someone tripped him and he fell down, all of his books spilling on to the ground.
It was the last straw. The young man was convinced that this world had nothing to offer him, and he was equally convinced he had nothing to offer the world.
Suddenly, a stranger leaned down and helped him up. Asked the young man if he was okay. Helped the young man pick up his books. Asked the young man if he needed any other help.
And for some reason, this was enough to give the young man that boost he had so long been looking for. It was that little break in the clouds that showed him hope was still there. There were people who cared, and he could encounter them in the world. That person, who did something any normal human being would do on any given day, made all of the difference to this struggling young man.
If helping someone who has fallen pick up what they dropped can make that kind of difference, there’s really no telling how many lives you’ve touched in big and small ways.
Think about all of the people you’ve talked to. All of the people who have responded to what you’ve written.
You’re quite the difference-maker, aren’t you?
And you’re rather special.
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsueg/4191156523/ via Creative Commons
Hi Margie,
I am a sucker for that movie, really. Can’t count how many times I’ve seen it and I never get sick of it. I now have my kids watching it and the youngest wants to see it every year. Good old George Bailey and good old Clarence.
Not sure if my tiny ripples are felt anywhere, but it would feel good to know if my ramblings have made even a tiny difference in someone’s life. I haven’t been at this blogging thing for that long, but I will say I’ve met nothing but quality people so far. Hopefully that experience will continue.
Thanks for the post!
@Craig McBreen I see you commenting in a lot of the places I do, and your comments are always lovely and well thought-out. You’re making a difference, sir. Without question.
Thanks for your comment!
@margieclayman Well, thanks! You’ve certainly made a difference with this post.
@Craig McBreen Thanks, Craig. Just trying to show folks how I see, well, them 🙂
Yes. Sometimes all it takes is a stranger doing or saying something kind to create that ripple. I enjoyed this post and you continue to inspire me. Thank you.
@suegrimm thanks so much, Sue. I appreciate it!
Beautiful post Margie!! You make me think of the “difference-makers” I’ve met along my journey and so many make me smile and feel amazingly … well … blessed is the only word. I wonder, “why me?” or better yet I think of one day meeting them again and telling them they made all the difference (and indeed on some very bleak days). Ah, to think If I could do that for even one, makes my heart (and eyes) swell.
The beauty of being a Clarence in anyone’s life is that surely you will be again in another’s and another’s and another’s. It’s all such a circular thing!!
Thank you for this touching post, you difference-maker you!! And yes I’m smiling huge when I write this to you!
Much kindness,
Elena
@WGB2U I bet you have and you didn’t even realize it. Take a gander and I’ll bet you will find several instances where someone smiled a big smile at you or said, “Wow, you made my day!” We just need to embrace those moments better and more 🙂
Margie, that movie is one of my faves. You are too, dear!!
And this is the second time tonight I’ve had “ripples” mentioned – earlier, it was during a Chris Brogran webinar on Google+. Next time you’re on there, click on the little down arrow to the top right of a post to see a menu – then click “View Ripples.”
Clarence! There you are! ;^)
@TomRedwine Aw, thanks, Tom!
I guess ripples are rippling themselves. I reckon that’s only fair. They’ve been rippling so long behind the scenes, it’s about time we paid attention!
I had my own little Clarence moment when I found a blog post in which the blogger, an artist, was talking about a couple of art teachers that made a profound impact on his life – and I was one of them! But back in the day when I was teaching that guy drawing, I probably was feeling that what I was saying wasn’t making much of an impact. Oh, and by the way, Margie, I found myself talking (being interviewed on a podcast) about how much I learned from you on Twitter – you’re not going to get to live that down 🙂 Top of the season, Rutabega!
@RicDragon Heya Turnip! Well that is a great story. It’s an act of strength in addition to kindness to tell someone they helped you out along the way. So often people like to evince the image of the “self-made” person, but really that is seldom the case, right? Everybody got somebody. Cept for me and my monkey!
Marjorie this post made my day, thank you for putting a smile on my face. This is the best reminder during the holidays, we can all make a difference. The smallest act of kindness can be monumental to someone else.
Happy Holidays!
@jennimacdonald Well you made my day with that comment, so there you go! 🙂 Thank you!
Yes I am pretty special, aren’t I? Oh wait, this post wasn’t about me……………wha?
I’ve said this many a time because it seems everybody wants the big WOW effect, but sometimes it is the smallest acts of kindness or consideration that have the biggest impact. You never know when that one selfless act will have a tremendous impact on someone………….
@bdorman264 Of course you were my muse for this post, Clarence! I meant, Bill… 🙂
Yes, every little bit counts. Sometimes even things you don’t think are acts of kindness actually are. Sometimes people are having a really hard time and just a kind or thoughtful word is enough to make a difference. You just never know!
Thank You for letting all of us know we are special in our own way, as you are!!! As I started to read, bullying came to my mind, then boom, there it was in your post. Thank You @MargieClayman !
This could be my favorite Margie post of all.
You make a difference everyday Margie. *mwah*