httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Z-nN1YB5A&NR=1
My other favorite part in Reagan’s farewell address is the very end (go forward to 9:11 into the above video), where he says:
And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren’t just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger. We made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.
And so, good-bye, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
Truly amazing. “We weren’t just marking time. We made a difference.” What a great thing to be able to say. And its significance extends far beyond a presidency. I think everybody aims for this in whatever their work is. Nobody wants to just be “marking time.” People want to make a difference.
As we start the new year, that would be a good resolution to make. Whatever your job is — and in all areas of your life — make sure you haven’t fallen into autopilot and become someone who is merely marking time. Be making a difference.
And, regardless of who is in the presidency, this can and should always be true of us as a nation as well.