2011: The Year to Live on Purpose

Posted January 06, 2011

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Posted Thursday January 6, 2011 by Jackie Morgan MacDougall

Have you heard about Ted Williams?

No, not the slugging Hall of Famer known more to this generation for his frozen head than his mad skills on the baseball field. The Ted Williams garnering lots of media attention is the "golden voiced" homeless man caught on tape. {Check out the velvety voice on this guy.}

Since the video hit YouTube recently, Ted has been making the rounds on the media circuit (complete with makeover) and was reunited with his long-lost mom. Now, after the job offers started rolling in, he accepted an on-air position with MSNBC. Williams has been given a brand new life (and even a new house), all because he caught the eye (and ear) of a passerby wielding a video camera.

It made me wonder...

Do we all have the power to change people's lives like that?

I certainly hope so.

Yesterday, I was approached by the directors of my kids' preschool. They shared with me that, over the holidays, one of my son's former classmates had been diagnosed with Leukemia. A beautiful little girl with a smile that lights up the room, my heart broke for her and her family. With a 20 percent chance of beating the disease and two self-employed parents -- mom due to give birth in just weeks -- I'm afraid of what would happen if they weren't able to cover their insurance costs or even provide basic necessities to their three children.

I enthusiastically agreed to help create a Facebook page to bring our community (and anyone else who might be able to help) together in support of this family. Within a few hours, I was getting dozens of emails, people inquiring about where to send donations, offering their time for babysitting, running errands and anything else the family might need. Suddenly, strangers were working together with a common goal, but it wouldn't have happened without the two angels at my children's preschool who wanted to do something -- anything -- to get one of their families through this unthinkable time.

I don't know if it's because we're starting fresh with a new year or because I'm approaching 40 (eeks!), but I'm noticing myself starting to slowly let go of the small stuff, not letting it get to me, and focusing on what I can do to live my life with purpose. Making quiet family time a priority (I've already spent more time playing games with my kids in the first week of the new year than I probably did throughout 2010), living more simply (not getting caught up in "stuff") and making an impact on others' lives, however big or small -- those are just some of the ways I want to live my life.

It seems everyone wants to give back over the holidays; millions of Americans feed the homeless, donate toys and provide warm clothing each year. But once the Christmas tree is taken down, often our humanitarian efforts are tossed out on the curb right alongside it.

I just ask that this year, before you get caught up in the hustle and the months pass you by, take a minute to think about how you want to remember 2011 when all is said and done. Today is the perfect opportunity for a fesh start and a chance to become the person you've always wanted to be.

What will you do this year to live your life... on purpose?

Jackie Morgan MacDougall is a TV-executive turned parenting blogger who lives a crazy life with her husband and three small kids. Her dreams of climbing the corporate ladder have been replaced by the dream of one day having a nap. You can find more of her musings at The Silver Whining.

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