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Our weekly news column bringing the most current, non-biased health
information to the consumer. |
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December 8, 2009 |
A Publication of QVHD |
Giving Living
By: V. Deborah Culligan, RN, MPH,
Deputy Director QVHD
A friend recently sent me
an email about Charles Shultz's (creator of the comic strip “Peanuts”)
philosophy of life. I don't know if it came from a book he wrote or a
speech he gave, but it is very thought-provoking and helps to put
perspective on this fast-paced, high-tech world that we live in. It goes
like this:
First take the following quiz:
1) Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2) List five Heisman trophy winners.
3) List the last 5 “Miss America ” winners.
4) List the names of ten Nobel or Pulitzer Prize winners.
5) List 5 Academy Award winners for best actor/actress.
6) List the World Series winners for the last decade.
How did you do? Most of us would score very poorly on this quiz if it
were graded.
Schultz then offers another quiz. Try this one:
1) List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2) Name 3 friends who helped you through difficult times.
3) Name 5 people who taught you something worthwhile.
4) Think of a five people that you enjoy spending time with.
5) List a few people who made you feel appreciated and special.
You probably did much better on this quiz. Are you getting the point?
Schultz concludes: The lesson….The people who make a difference in our
lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money or the
most awards. The people who make a difference in our lives are the
people who care about us.
If you agree with this lesson, then think about it from another
perspective. If the people you listed in the second quiz made a
difference in your life, how can you make a difference in someone else's
life? During this holiday season, reach out to someone who needs a
helping hand, a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen, and a heart to
care. While the decorations and gifts and parties and foods make the
holidays a fun and festive time, they will be forgotten as the next
round of activities begins. But for the person you touch, the person you
walk across the room to meet, the person to whom you show caring and
compassion, those simple acts will last a lifetime, and truly make a
difference in the life of another. Try “giving living”, not of material
goods, but of yourself and your time. The rewards you reap may be beyond
your expectations.
Think about the lesson from Mr. Shultz's philosophy of life as you end
this year and begin a new one. Happy Holidays from QVHD, your local
health department.
| An Ounce of Prevention is a
publication of the Quinnipiack Valley Health District, located at
1151 Hartford Turnpike, North Haven, CT 06473. Telephone:
248-4528. An Ounce of Prevention is
written by V. Deborah Culligan. The articles are published in the following local newspapers, The Advisor &
Beth-Wood News.
The content is provided as health education and
information to help you make health decisions. It is not intended to
be legal or medical advice, or substitute for recommendations made
by your health care provider. Address all comments to the district
office. |
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