Bah! Humbug!

To all my friends, family and colleagues during this holiday season – I wish a very Merry Christmas or Chag Sameach for those already well into the Hanukkah festival already.

Every Christmas Eve, my family watches A Christmas Carol though we are always going back and forth on what version to watch.?Because I grew up with it, I prefer the George C. Scott version.?But I sometimes allow myself to be persuaded to Patrick Stewart or even one of the older versions (1930s or 1951), but my son balks at anything in black and white.?Kids.

Regardless of the version, the reason I like this above all Christmas movies is because of the underlying message.?Yes, yes, Scrooge is a mean old man who learns it is better to love humanity and changes because the three spirits have shown him how to be a better person.?That’s the overt message.?The more subtle message here is that we are all Scrooge in some regards, and we are all constantly waging a battle to not let our inner Scrooge win out over our love for our fellow man.?Every time we focus on someone or something negative – every time we accept the worst part of human nature, or we become skeptical or cynical or contribute to negativity in our lives – or to other’s lives – we are enhancing our own internal Ebenezer.?And we rarely consider doing it.

And it is really, really easy to do.?Social and main stream media is driven by negative ledes, clicks and views of stories of hate, cruelty, foolishness, crime and fear are meant to increase revenue for the media entities they are posted in/on.?And we contribute to it.?Constantly.?We “like” it.?We forward it. ?We argue about it – with friends, loved ones and sometimes these arguments become so heated we sever contact with those we care about because they don’t want to share our viewpoint on the subject.?It really is a bizarre behavior for an otherwise civil and social species.?It is exactly what Scrooge does when he tells his nephew Fred to sod off when he is invited to Christmas dinner (as he is every year). In fact, I'll wager that some of you might have clicked on this post because of the title "Bah, Humbug" and thinking you were going to get into it with me :)

So this is my annual commitment, which I hope you will join me in.?I will try to spend my time seeking out the love in the world – the good deeds, the acts that make my eyes wet because the very positivity of the act leaks through the electronic medium and manages to touch my very soul.?I will continue to share my knowledge of what got me to where I am with those who are still trying to get there.?I will offer advice when asked for it, and sometimes even when not asked for it – but I will also be perfectly fine when that advice is shunned, and not take it personally.?In fact, I will try not to take anything personally.?I will help people develop their careers.?I will open doors for those who are carrying burdens – and not just physical ones.?I will smile – a lot.?I will offer a shoulder to cry on if it is needed, and join in with a hearty, genuine laugh when something moves me to.?I will go out of my way to offer words of encouragement, or an email that may mean so little to me, but so much to the recipient.?I will spend time with my son and my wife, because after all, they are the people I do all of this for in the first place.?I will call loved ones that I haven’t talked to in a while – I won’t let life pick me up and carry me away, with years going by before I am aware they have passed.?I will vacation.?I will develop my hobby.?I will read and continue to learn.?

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”

This holiday season, it is OK to be Ebenezer Scrooge.?In fact, I encourage it.?But be the Scrooge that learned his lessons and became a better person for it.?Your time with humanity is limited.?Be sure to spend the time loving it.

Merry Christmas, and Happy Hanukkah

-Chris

#holidays #christmas #hopeforthefuture