Daniel Webster was one of the greatest orators of all time. They say he even out talked the Devil to save a man's soul. What he said wasn't as important as the way he said It. But one sentence from his speeches sticks in my mind. "Let us," said Daniel Webster, "in this our day and generation perform something worthy to be remembered."
How many of us are living up to this challenge? Most of us spend our time like sleepwalkers - the blind leading the blind. We're afraid to stick our necks out. Afraid that if we do, it will just get us into trouble.
All around us now we see trouble. Children are starving. Men and women are unemployed. Families are falling apart. Old people are unhappy. Our cities are getting unbearable. Our air isn't fit to breathe. Litter pollutes our surroundings. But what are we doing about it? We complain a lot. Or we pull the shades, turn on the boob tube, and lose ourselves in make-believe, so we won't have to see what's going on outside.
What good is building up your own confidence to where you think you can move mountains, if you're too lazy to bend over and pick up a piece of paper in the street. Or don't have time to help a neighbor in distress. Getting excited about life and becoming happy are only a part of the Dare to Be Great philosophy.
Daniel Webster knew what he was talking about. He knew that we are only here on earth for a day. And so he asked us to do something worthy of being remembered in that brief time. It's popular to laugh at the Boy Scouts and their daily good deed. Some people will sneer at anything. But how many of us can boast of a good deed a week or a month or even a year? I believe anybody can become a success. But the richest man on earth is a failure if he measures success by what he does for himself. So we should all reach out and touch someone with a positive word, deed or action. It may be as small as saying, "Hello", and giving a smile to someone who is lonely. Or you could volunteer at a hospital or old age home for a few hours. The greatest gift you can give is yourself and your time. Showing gratitude to others when they show kindness to you is a great gift that you can give back to them, it shows honor and respect for their act.
What are you doing that's worthy to be remembered? So think about what Daniel Webster said. The next time you're tempted to complain, ask yourself, "If I don't do something to change things, who will?" No one. But you can change the world if you believe in yourself, and be remembered with love and gratitude by those who come after you.
