Newsletter Archives
Take Two—12/11/2025
Ideas and inspiration for a more intentional, extraordinary life.
December 11, 2025
Words to Wonder:
Is It a Wonderful Life?
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes."
— Marcel Proust, novelist (1871-1922)
Perspectives to Ponder
In the timeless film It’s a Wonderful Life, we meet George Bailey. He dreams of traveling the world and living a life of adventure—but he sacrifices those dreams to help others in his small town of Bedford Falls.
When a financial crisis strikes, George is on the verge of losing everything. He feels like a failure and even contemplates ending his life. That’s when he meets Clarence.
Clarence is an angel who shows George what Bedford Falls would have been like if he had never been born. It’s a dark and hopeless place, and the people he loves are suffering. Realizing how deeply he’s impacted others, George gains a new appreciation for his life.
George’s external circumstances didn’t change. He’s still in the same town, facing the same struggles. But his perspective shifts dramatically. Instead of seeing himself as worthless, he now sees a life full of meaning and purpose.
I think we could all benefit from an encounter with someone like Clarence. We all have moments when we question our impact or wonder whether we’re making a difference. But sometimes, like George, we just need to see life from another point of view. A shift in perspective can help us realize our lives may be far better than we thought.
What if the life you’re living is already more meaningful than you realize? Maybe it’s not your life that needs to change—but the way you’re seeing it.
As we move through this holiday season, may we all find moments to see our lives with new eyes. And may you catch a fresh glimpse of the purpose your life carries—and a renewed appreciation for the many quiet ways you make the world better.
From my new book, Words to Wonder, #20 in the Perspective chapter.
REMINDERS WORTH REMEMBERING
I’ve learned that the most meaningful lessons aren’t always new ones. More often, they’re things I already knew but simply lost track of in the busyness and noise of living—like an important note buried somewhere in a stack of papers on my desk. Then I stumble across it again and think, Oh right… this matters. And I move it back to the top where it can actually get the attention it deserves.
Jane Kenyon's poem, Otherwise, is one such reminder.
STORIES WORTH KNOWING
What Krispy Kreme Can Teach Us About Living a Better Life
We live in a world that equates speed with success. But sometimes the very thing we rush toward gets ruined in the process. This week I wrote about Krispy Kreme—a company whose dramatic rise holds an unexpected lesson for the rest of us.
It’s a story about donuts… but even more, it’s a story about how we move through our lives, and what we risk missing when we push too hard or too fast.
If you’ve ever felt the pressure to hurry, hustle, or do more, this short article may offer a fresh perspective.
Read the story HERE
BEFORE YOU GO
This week’s stories all point in the same direction. George Bailey reminds us that our lives may be far more meaningful than we realize. Jane Kenyon’s Otherwise nudges us to notice the ordinary gifts we usually rush past. And Krispy Kreme shows us what happens when “more” and “faster” start to ruin what was already good.
As this year winds down, maybe the challenge isn’t to do more, but to see more—to slow the pace, shift your perspective, and appreciate the life you’re already living.
Stay inspired by the life you’re living,
Kevin