52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life

by Bob Welch

Overview

If George and Mary Bailey are annual guests at your home every winter, you already know that It's a Wonderful Life is more than just a holiday tradition—it's a powerful reminder that our lives can change everyone around us, for better or worse. But what can this Christmas classic teach us about our everyday lives?

52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life will change the way you think about this holiday staple, from the lightheartedness of George and Mary's floor-parting dance to the poignancy of a community that rallies to save a desperate man, Bob Welch's 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life will inspire you to live for the things that matter most.

Welch invites us to revisit the defining lessons in Frank Capra's 1946 classic and discover new dimensions of the film you've seen time and again, including:

• What can we all learn from Mary's quiet contentedness?
• Can George's selflessness make you rethink your own priorities?
• What impact do we have on the people around us?

Join Welch for a close-up of the characters and themes that shape this timeless story of resilience and redemption. You'll be reminded that life's most important work is often the work we never planned to do, that God can use the most unlikely among us to get the job done, and that grace is the greatest gift we can possibly give.

Discover why It's a Wonderful Life is more than just a holiday tradition—it's an inspiration for us to lead better lives, to become people of honor and integrity, and to recognize what really matters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780785265702
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	10/26/2021
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	490,588
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Bob Welch is the author of 12 books, an award-winning columnist, a speaker, and an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Oregon in Eugene. His articles have been published in inspirational books, including the popular “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series.

Table of Contents

Author's Note xi

Lesson 1 God Honors Our "Childlike Faith" 1

Lesson 2 Underdogs Matter 7

Lesson 3 Sometimes You Just Gotta Dance 12

Lesson 4 You Matter to the World 16

Lesson 5 Self-Pity Skews Our Vision 20

Lesson 6 Life's Greatest Adventures Are About People, Not Places or Things 25

Lesson 7 You Can't Run Away from Your Problems 30

Lesson 8 It's Wise to Seek Counsel 35

Lesson 9 Stop to Count Your Blessings 40

Lesson 10 There's No Impact Without Contact 45

Lesson 11 When Criticized, Consider the Source 50

Lesson 12 Find Your Own Bedford Falls, Wherever You Live 55

Lesson 13 Trying to Keep Up with the Joneses Is Futile 58

Lesson 14 Perspective Changes Everything 63

Lesson 15 Prayer Changes Things 68

Lesson 16 Revel in the Accomplishments of Others 72

Lesson 17 Don't Wait to Tell Someone You Care 77

Lesson 18 Every Journey Has a Secret Destination 82

Lesson 19 Don't Look for What Is, but for What May Be 87

Lesson 20 It's in Helping Others That We Help Ourselves 92

Lesson 21 Life Is Not a Bed of Roses 97

Lesson 22 It Takes a Village to Raise a Child 102

Lesson 23 Quiet Lives Can Speak the Loudest 106

Lesson 24 No Man Is an Island 110

Lesson 25 God's Greatest Gift Is Life 114

Lesson 26 The Greatest Gift You Can Give Is Grace 118

Lesson 27 There's Much to Be Said for Long-Term Commitments 124

Lesson 28 Actions Speak Louder Than Words 128

Lesson 29 Look for the Best in People 133

Lesson 30 Vengeance Is Not Ours, Saith the Lord 138

Lesson 31 Nobody Is Perfect … Which Brings Us to Grace 142

Lesson 32 The Essence of Life Is Relationships 147

Lesson 33 What Triggers True Change Is True Humility 151

Lesson 34 Fame Doesn't Equal Success, Nor Obscurity Failure 157

Lesson 35 Bitterness Backfires on the One Who's Bitter 162

Lesson 36 Living Simply Helps Us Appreciate What's Most Significant 166

Lesson 37 High Ideals Are an Honorable Pursuit 171

Lesson 38 Lost Dreams Can Be Found Opportunities 175

Lesson 39 All That Glitters Is Not Gold 179

Lesson 40 People Respond to Honorable Examples 183

Lesson 41 Helping Others Requires Sacrifice 186

Lesson 42 Look for Friends Who Bring Out the Best in You 191

Lesson 43 Desperation Can Be a Catalyst for Great Things 196

Lesson 44 Miracles Happen 199

Lesson 45 Age Is Insignificant; How You Live Is Not 203

Lesson 46 The Richest People in Town Might Have Little Money 207

Lesson 47 The World Needs More Sentimental Hogwash 212

Lesson 48 Pay Attention to the Task at Hand 215

Lesson 49 People Can Change 218

Lesson 50 Entering a Child's World Expands Your World 223

Lesson 51 It Takes Time for Some Flowers to Bloom 226

Lesson 52 Life Revisions Strengthen the Script 230

Acknowledgments 235

Notes 237

About the Author 243