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It’s Not Perfect, But It’s A Wonderful Life

In this week’s Success Newsletter, I would like to reveal the meaning and significance of the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

First a quick update:

The Breakup Test
Are you heartbroken, angry, lost, lonely, confused, depressed, hung up, or pining over your ex? Do you know how your ex is truly affecting you and do you want to benefit from personalize advice, action steps and revelations? Take my free breakup test and get your own personalized report. 

The 4 Primary Reasons Men Fear Or Avoid Commitment
Women often comment to me that they are confused about the reasons that men they have encountered are commitment-phobic and why so many more men are refusing to commit to relationships or marriage. Watch the video

Now, let’s talk about the meaning and significance of the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is a classic movie from 1946 that tells the story of George Bailey, a selfless man who spent his whole life trying to do good in his small town but one day concludes that he’s a failure and so now he is looking to end his life. It is only with the help of a guardian angel, Clarence that George is able to truly find meaning by seeing the positive and profound impact he has made in so many other people’s lives. George is convinced of this when Clarence shows him what that same small town would have become if he had never been born, and the people who would have died had it not been for him.

Thus, George Bailey comes to an awakening that his life is significant, valuable, and meaningful! And at the end of the movie, when all of his friends come together to help save George from going to jail, he learns that although he didn’t live all of his dreams, being rich and happy is when you have friends and people that love you.

“Clarence: [In book inscription] Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.”

What about you?

As the year closes, are you looking back and starting to question the meaning, the worth, and the value of your life?

It is so easy to focus on the disappointments rather than focus on the things and people for whom you can be grateful.

Too often the negativity gets our attention rather than the joys of life which come from our friendships and connection to others – from the way we help others!

CNN anchor and HLN show host, Carol Costello criticized “It’s A Wonderful Life” because in the world without George Bailey, his wife, Mary was revealed as an old, lonely woman who never married. Carol saw this as sexism and missed the message that meaning comes from love and connection; Mary had found her love and partner in George and without him she would have been lonely and loveless, working with books but isolated from people and never finding her own professed joy in the expression of love, family and motherhood.

“Clarence: [to George] 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?”

The movie actually lifts women: Mary is portrayed as a woman who turns down a rich man, choosing instead love over materialism; she is portrayed as strong, intelligent, significant, nurturing and full of initiative; it is Mary who rallies the townspeople to help solve the crisis facing her husband which would have put him in jail – and the townspeople give her credit for that; in the dream scene where Mary does not know George, it is George who is crying out “I need you Mary.”

While there may not be a Clarence (guardian angel) to literally hold your hand, you can stop and consider everything for which you can be thankful:

Be thankful for your health; be grateful that you are warm and have shelter. If you are feeling alone, useless or invisible, write a list of the people whose life or lives you are impacting in a positive way. If you cannot come up with one name, then go out and donate one hour to serving at a soup kitchen or the like whereby you will feel significant and realize how you can bring joy to others. If you have children show them love and joy, receive their love, and encourage them to express their innate love and joy for life.

Remember, life is the greatest gift, and when you realize that meaning comes from the way you touch other people’s lives, and they touch yours, then you too, will scream just like George Bailey did, “I wanna live again!”

Click here if you would like to read more about the lessons that can be gleaned from It’s A Wonderful Life.

If you need personal help to overcome the past, close an old door to open a new one – book a one-on-one session with me.

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I wish you the best and remind you “Believe in yourself -You deserve the best!”

Patrick Wanis Ph.D.
Celebrity Life Coach, Human Behavior & Relationship Expert & SRTT Therapist
www.patrickwanis.com

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