Just the other night I watched a movie that was made in 1954 called, Magnificent Obsession. From first hearing the title you may think that it’s just another classic romance story. Which if you thought this, you are correct. But from sitting back and watching the theme of which the movie focuses on, it is much bigger than a romance story. It’s about giving, and how much a magnificent obsession it is to give to others.
For you all to understand what I mean by this let me give you a brief overview of the movie. The male protagonist is portrayed as a selfish playboy who doesn’t care about the plight of others around him. That is, until he meets the woman of his dreams, after a tragic accident. He then learns that to truly love her would mean to change his perspective on life. Which for him, was to start giving to others. To be selfless.
This movie sums up in two hours, what should already be evident to society. How important it is to give, to show kindness to others without hesitation. I know that it's not a perfect world that we live in, that there’s good and bad. That’s unfortunately inevitable. Although we live in a world like this, can’t we make the best of it and start treating others right. It’s time to treat others fair, to give with all our hearts.
I know this may seem like an incredible dream or an irrational thought. But what is holding us back from giving to others? Why so much hesitation? In retrospect, do we really have so much to lose?
In my eyes, when we are giving to others we only stand to lose what we could have already gained. By this I mean through showing our kindness, don’t be mistaken acts of kindness are never truly lost. By giving to others we are not losing a piece of our heart, but rather piecing it back together. When I’m helping others, whether it’s something big or small, my day is brightened.
You reap what you sow, it’s a bible verse that I’ve heard many times (Galatians 6:7, NIV). It may sound corny to some, or even just plain false. But it all boils back down to giving to others. The ideology being if you do good unto others it will come back to you; so, the same goes for what you give to others will not be lost but will be given back to you in due time.
It’s the holiday season, this is the time of giving. Just think if we made this year-round, the act to give to others constantly on our minds without hesitation. A single act of kindness can make all the difference.
To give unto others is a magnificent thing, a “magnificent obsession”.