5 Lessons on Growing Your Real Riches
Nat King Cole will remind us this month to be joyful, though life can be busy and hard, and our news feed reminds us of all that’s wrong in the world.
This is why I love re-watching It’s a Wonderful Life each year. I need yet another voice to break through the cynicism, hurry and striving.
As we reflect on 2023 and prepare for the new year, let’s consider five wonderful reminders from George Bailey.
- “No man is a failure who has friends.” While his full house of singing friends generously poured out donations in his time of need, George found this inscribed in a book from his guardian angel Clarence. We are inclined to measure ourselves by our titles and the size of our bank account and forget to measure the quality and number of our friends. Spend time this month considering your most important relationships and how you might nurture them in the new year.
- Be an inspiring example of generosity. Potter chides George’s “foolish” generosity, though George ultimately realizes the impact. Many people, like Violet, the aspiring actress, Uncle Billy, his absent-minded assistant, and Mr. Martini, the owner of a bar, all ended up leading more meaningful and productive lives because of George’s help. Generosity promotes friendship and legacy. Consider this month how you could give away more time and money to people around you.
- Aim to do good over doing well. George makes many sacrifices in his life, including his aspirations to “see the world!” He harbors frustration about not having enough to fix his broken stair rail, and he feels stuck in Bedford Falls. Nonetheless, he realizes that he has much greater “wealth” than Mr. Potter, whose primary aim is material accumulation and winning. As this year wraps up, contemplate how you might align your efforts and talents more closely to the needs of the world.
- Put things like money in their proper perspective. George is beside himself when the $8,000 daily bank deposit goes missing. It produces so much anxiety and self-loathing that he yells at his kids, gets drunk and contemplates suicide. He’s singularly focused on the missing money. He loses perspective about his entire life…until he gets to see what a wonderful life it really is. Try this exercise: Make a list of things that are making you anxious; then make a second list of all the things that are beautiful, amazing and beneficial in your life. Consider how you might place greater focus on the second list.
- Everyone has more impact on others than they realize. The angel Clarence famously says, “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” You might be tempted to think that your impact is insignificant, that you’ve screwed things up or that you haven’t been the friend/boss/parent that you wanted to be over the past year. Well, I bet you touched more lives in positive ways than you give yourself credit for. Reflect on all the people this year that you impacted and how you might continue that impact into the new year.
George has strong words for us again this holiday season. It’s what he reminded the mean-spirited Mr. Potter about the example of his father:
People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they’re cattle. Well in my book, my father died a much richer man than you’ll ever be!
Let’s reflect this month on our “real riches” and how we might grow them in the year ahead.
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