Occasionally I would find myself reading a quote that stops me in my tracks. It’s like getting pricked by a needle while I’m working, shuffling through a haystack. Fortunately, I got pricked by one today!
We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.
-Winston Churchill
Who is this Churchill guy?
You will find him in your history books as the Prime Minister of the UK during World War II. You may also find him hailed as one of UK’s most influential persons in this day and age. In fact his prestige earned him in many movies such as a coming movie called The Darkest Hour and a Netflix series The Crown just to name a couple. His history is rich with achievements and the sacrifices he made for the UK, its neighbors, and people around the world. Which leads me in to the quote above.
What does the quote mean?
It puts into perspective how different it is for “living life by what one makes” and for “living life by what one does”. It means that a person can become much greater if they choose to give rather than get. Some may see the quote as referring to two different personality types. But I feel it better fits as a lifestyle choice in that a person who only lives their life day by day can still become a positive change to society if they make the effort to plan out their day to live for the future.
The quote is significant to me because…
Unsurprisingly, I fit into the “making a living by what I get” crowd. Usually my focus is to get things done fast so I can reward myself with the simple pleasures of life. Thus, I set my bar low enough so I can quickly achieve my goals. This way of thinking will potentially put me into a cul-de-sac one day and by then it would be very late to fix things. I have been finding that the small goals I make actually cause more tension with others including my wife (whom I love dearly) than it does to mitigate problems. Sometimes don’t understand why things need to be done a certain way, but I think now I know…
I'll conclude with a reminder that it is far better to put the important things before than the unimportant things. The impact it can make to others will allow a person to live a much more happier and rewarding life in the long term.
What does the Quote mean to you???
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