Essay: How to make a difference

What does it mean to make a difference these days? How do you measure you’re own value in the things you care most about?

How to make a difference

I think I ate too many preechy pills on this one: I hope it goes down ok on your end.

3 Responses to “Essay: How to make a difference”

  1. dan

    the ‘value of my time’ debate is an interesting one. because of my upbringing i realized fairly early on that (for me) decent parenting is about how much of my time i spend with my daughter as opposed to how much money i spend on her. i’m not sure she’s always convinced of the argument but i am! and when xmas and my birthday comes round i always say to her ‘i’d like something you’ve made’. and the reason is exactly as you said it: my time is the only thing i can give that i can never get back, so if i spend making something for someone i love then i can’t see a better way of spending my time. this xmas, apart from some books, almost all her presents can also involve me if she chooses to and i love every minute of it. merry xmas.

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  2. Scott (admin)

    Parenting adds an entire new dimension to this: a parents time with their kids is the only thing they can’t leave behind for them after they’re gone (vs. money, books, various fancy things, etc.). As cheezy as that Mastercard commercial has made it, it’s always a good question to ask what a day with a someone you care about is worth.

    Despite the preechyness of the essay, I’m not a rock star on this particular trait: but I’m working on it. In a way, for me as a writer-dude, writing an essay about something is a big commitment of my time and in that sense fits the philosophy behind the essay.

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  3. Michael

    Hello Scott. I wanted to commend you on a great essay! This is my first to your site and I now know it won’t be my last. The section on “Forgotten Things” really hit home with me. It really made me think about how rare praise can be and, therefore, how meaningful it can be. I’ve always tried to give my children a lot of praise, because that is not something I got when I was young (especially from my father). I can remember how good it made me feel on the few occasions when I would here him praising me. Anyhow, I’m sure I could a better job of giving people credit in other areas of my life and daily routines. Thank you for a thought provoking essay.

    BTW…your book has been on my ever-growing list of readings for 2006. It is moving to the top of the list…thanks for making 2 sample chapters available.

    Cheers!

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