What if we all acknowledged that Scrooge lives in us (to varying degrees) and we decided to do something about it?
How would we go about this? It would mean taking an honest look at the way we think, speak, and act in order to discover how much love we sprinkle into the world and how much negativity or low-frequency energy is put out there as well.
A Christmas Carol demonstrates quite clearly what an absence of love looks like:
- Stinginess
- Being only out for oneself
- Disregard for the needs of others
- Being rich in terms of money but scared to spend it
- A dim view of humanity – always expecting the worst
- Expecting the world to screw you over
- Being angry and resentful of the world because it beat you down
- Inability to love
- An absence of kindness, warmth, generosity, love, acceptance
- Judgment of others
- A focus only on business and how much money you have
- Treating others as if they have no value
- Being cold and harsh with others
- A lack of forgiveness and compassion
Now Scrooge is an extreme example of a lack of love. But we all have a bit of Scrooge inside of us. And, like Scrooge, we all have hurt in our past that has made us hard and cold towards the world in ways we are very accustomed to.
This Christmas season I challenge you to pay more attention to what you say and what you do. Does this time of the year change you? If so, in what ways?
- Are you more grateful? Appreciative of others?
- Do you tend to see more ‘good’ in others rather than ‘bad’?
- Are you more generous when giving of yourself and what you have?
- Do you voluntarily help more people? Are you more mindful of people in need and more responsive to that?
- Do you feel more peace towards others and good will towards mankind?
- Do you really care about others, even if they are strangers?
- Do you reach out to someone that struggles or is in need?
- Do you tend to forgive more easily and move past old grudges?
My encouragement to you all as you think about 2014 is not to forget Christmas just because it’s January! Rather than the typical New Year’s Resolutions of eating better, exercising more regularly, and losing weight, what if you decided to bring more of Christmas into all 12 months of the year? What changes would you make in the way you conduct yourself January to December of 2014? And then make a commitment to follow through.
Our world needs this more loving energy because it is being torn apart by all manner of negative events and emotions. Change begins with you. One person can make a huge difference … Be the change you would like to see in the world.
I have a client who asked me if it was OK if she forgave her husband for the affair that he had or did it mean that she was enabling him to do this to her again. I recommended that she indeed forgive him for the past so that they could move forward. Holding onto anger, bitterness, resentment, and fear only serves to close down love.
And like Scrooge on Christmas Eve, you get to decide how you want to be from this day forward. Christmas is an excellent time of the year to do just exactly that.
So many of us make New Year’s resolutions – to lose 20 lbs, to eat better, etc. Why not resolve to make your life full of more love and laughter this year than last? Why not resolve to ensure that the people around you experience more love as well? If you ever need help healing the fear and hurt of your inner Scrooge, I’d be delighted to be your guide.