contribute good

Before Pinterest took the world by storm I had myself a lovely little lookbook. I still thumb through it every now and then. It's mainly full of tear sheets from Pottery Barn and Boden catalogs, but after a few turns of the pages, tucked between pictures of perfectly lived-in homes and outfits that make me green with envy, are great quotes or thoughts that have the potential to make a lasting impression.

While flipping through my lookbook a few weeks ago I landed on this quote and have been reciting it over and over in my mind ever since.

It's great food for thought, isn't it? And spoken by a man who contributed greatly to the world. 

I often doubt that my contributions mean anything to anyone, which usually subsequently leads to a self-imposed break from contributing at all. Serving others is hard, being good in a world of selfishness and skepticism is hard. But this quote reminds me that being good isn't, and has never been, about me or for me. I must be good for something. I must be good for someone. And whatever good I can muster on any given day must be passed on. It is my responsibility to contribute good. 

I think I just found my goal for 2012.