MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Following on from Monday's post about Will i am, I've been thinking a lot more about making a difference. It's really prompted me to look at my own life and ask myself just what difference am I making to other people?

I think there are few things more important in this world than the difference you make to others. When we come to the end of our lives, what things will we look back on, what will give us the most pleasure? My guess is that it won't be the things that we've accumulated, the stuff around us. No, I think what will give us that glow in those final days will be the experiences we've shared, the memories we've built and the way that we have touched the lives of others. Do you agree?

If so, what are we doing about working towards that now? What ways are we trying to positively influence the lives of others? I'm lucky enough as a GP to be in a position to do this every day. I'm well aware how lucky I am and what a responsibility I have in this respect. I have the chance to make people feel better as well as to educate them. I can also inspire them to live a more healthy and active lifestyle. As a coach I get the chance to do this to and to act as a catalyst for those wishing to make personal changes.

How about outside work though? I do my best to be a role-model for my teenage sons. Neither of them want to go in to medicine. I once read somewhere that one of the best gifts a parent can give their child is the positive example of their own life working and that has always stuck with me.

I could be doing more though to contribute in a wider sense, to my local community and to charity. I'm always on the look out for projects to get involved with and support. So how about you? What difference are you making? How much more could you be doing and more importantly, when are you going to start?