Sibling Update: It’s a Wonderful Life
Posted by kate fialkowski on January 1, 2011
I know it’s heresy to say this but, here it goes: 
I hate the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart. I never liked the thought that life had passed him by and here’s why he should be happy anyway?! On the other hand, the one part of the movie I like and agree with is that our lives are all interconnected and you can’t know the impact of one life on the lives around it. Small pebble. Big ripple.
My Happy New Year Post is a tribute to that movie and to list the impact my brother David has had on me. Really, my life wouldn’t be a fraction of what it has been without my brother David. He taught me so much, it’s long overdue that I give him credit.
David taught me
- One person can make a difference. And that single individuals when united can move mountains. All grass roots movements start with one individual here and there and then it builds. This was the original form of social networking expressed to the point of power.
- Plan all you want. But, know that life happens. Be prepared to throw the plan out the window. Bend and go with the flow when you need to. Maybe something better ensues. For example, made a plan for a visit with David to Longwood Gardens. Traffic. Trip takes too long. David fed up! Okay, abandon plan! That’s cool. Coffee and donuts at Dunkin Donuts?! Sounds great!
- Try, Try, Try again. For 10+ years my mother taught David to walk. One day he got up and walked across the room. Never give up.
- Focus on the outcome not the task. Working 15 years of IDPs has taught me that the team has to be united on the outcome. If so, we get there. Focused on the task? All you get is the task.
- The bigger the universe, the less “atypical” we are. Really, wiki estimates there are 100,000,000,000 languages on this globe! So, in the global universe, vocalizations are NOT atypical forms of communication. Think about it. Broaden your world.
Because of David, I
- Have had a terrific career as a transformational change expert
- Have thrived living and working around the world
- Have unlimited hope
- Believe that all people have unrealized potential
- Think that the most precious commodity is “options” not money
- Never give up
So, I want to share with you… the gift of life lessons to siblings can be differentiating. They equip the sibling to live in a “global” world and this will be even more necessary tomorrow than it was yesterday. And finally, I want to say it IS a wonderful life and EVERY life should be celebrated.
Celebrate this New Year!
Yours in Community,
Kate
