How Far Can you Reach?

I don't think I'm giving anything away here by
telling you that they saved Private Ryan.

But was it worth it.

If you're not familiar with the story,
three Ryan brothers were killed in WWII, and
the Army wanted to find the fourth brother and
let him get back home to his mother.

They sent a team of eight soldiers into enemy
territory to get him. Private Ryan made it out,
but the rest were not so lucky.

Was it worth it.

Were those eight lives worth Private Ryan's just
because his brothers had gotten killed.

They didn't know if he was alive or dead when they
went after him. For all they knew, he could've
lived through the war. Or he may have been dead
already, so trying to find him was an
unneccessary risk.

How many lives are worth someone else's life.
And what reasons are good enough to risk them.

Not easy questions. And even more difficult
answers.

I think our lesson comes when everyone else is
killed by Ryan, and the dying Tom Hanks says:

"Earn this."

Make it mean something that me and my men just
traveled so far, risked our lives and gave up
our lives just so you can go home.

And I think Ryan got it. Because at the D-Day
Memorial, when he was remembering all this, he
asked his wife:

"Tell me I've led a good life; tell me I'm a
good man..."

Tell me my life has meant something to someone;
that it was worth eight guys dying just for
me to get home.

He was surrounded by his wife, and kids, and
their kids...and you could tell he'd made an
impact, made a difference.

From the Revolution to our current conflict,
many more than eight men and women have given
their life so that you can "go home".

Hope you'll offer some gratitude for them today.
But the best gratitude is to make their sacrifice
count for something. To earn it.

To live like you mean it.

Dr. Vince


P.S. if you don't have a copy of the Secret Power of Gratitude, you can download
yours here for free...just skip all the credit card stuff and you'll get it right away
http://www.drvinceonline.com/gratitude.htm