No Man Is an Island

“ NO MAN IS AN ISLAND , entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”1 Those words, written more than 400 years ago by John Donne, are as true today as they have ever been.

Each of us—every human being—matters so very much in this world. The influence of “you” or “me” as an individual is great, even beyond our ability to comprehend. Often, when we look at our lives, we do just that—we look at our lives through our own lenses and experiences. But if we could take a step back—maybe even 100 steps back—we would begin to see just how deeply our lives actually influence the lives of others.

The power that lies within a person is propelled by personal choice. In each of our lives, there are times when major decisions need to be made—decisions that have consequences, for good or bad, for decades or even generations to come. But more often, we make seemingly small everyday choices—underlying choices, if you will, that hold great and at times unappreciated potential for true and lasting impact.

An executive recently shared the underlying choices in his life. He asked: “Will I choose faith and trust, or control and security? Will I focus on what I can give or only on what I can gain? Will I view my role as one of stewardship or ownership? Do I serve others or do I take advantage of them? Am I dedicating my time to what matters most or simply seeking to maximize profit?”

Whatever our situation in life may be, our underlying decisions become directional. They determine whether we live as an island unto ourselves or as a contributing part of the main.

The world, at times, can cause us to feel as if we’re disconnected on a faraway remote island, feeling that no one understands and that we must look out only for ourselves. But this is false. We are connected to one another. We each have the power to choose, the power to serve, the power to influence. As John Donne reminded us, “No man is an island … ; [each of us] is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”

John Donne, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions; Together with Death’s Duel (1959), 108, gutenberg.org.