Reality check. Time to start taking inventory of how you have leveraged the lessons and exercises to make a better version of yourself.  Your challenge last week was to figure out what having all three spirits alive within you means to you, to list out what you have learned, and identify what new skills you have developed.  I had a hard time with this one. You read that I am working on being more present in the now and less future focused. I was never real big on dwelling in the past and living with regrets and second guessing earlier decisions.  For me, I tried to learn from the past. What did I do wrong? What does that tell me about me, my strengths, my weaknesses and my decision making? I am not looking in the rear view mirror and living in the past just trying to understand me, better. A few observations from me looking at my past; I am very comfortable dealing with uncertainty and the unknow. At times, too comfortable. Step back and take time to consider what I may be missing.  Another observation of myself, don’t always be enchanted with what is over the next hill. Finally, as part of learning to live in the now, I have learned it is OK to have some fun and take a moment to enjoy life. I am way, way too comfortable with delayed gratification. From my reflections on the past, the present and the future, I am convinced that part of my current malaise is from always putting things off to tomorrow.  That’s me… what about you? If some of your findings don’t hurt, then you didn’t look hard enough. You have to get uncomfortable, if you are going to drive real change.

 This Week’s Talk

We know what happens at this point in the book. Scrooge awakens and realizes he is in his own room. He looks around and sees that all his things are there, nothing was stolen, and he is alive. Scrooge is almost instantly giddy realizing he still has a chance. I would assume most of you reading this have a driver’s license. Who hasn’t looked in the rear view mirror only to see a police officer following you? You instantly start thinking about what yo could have done wrong, did you put the new sticker on your license plate? Were you speeding? Did you change lanes and not signal? Lots of things run through your head. Then, when they either pass you or gets off at the next exit, you sigh a huge sigh and feel much more relaxed.  Now imagine that you were confronted with your own mortality by a spirit that was an authority on the future. To be real for a minute, being escorted by any spirit would be terrifying facing your own mortality puts it over the top.

Scrooge isn’t dead. He carries with him the knowledge that if his path changes the outcome changes. Realizing he is alive he immediately senses that he has hope.  I have thought about this section of the book and the movies many times.  Why is it that I like this scene so much. Partly we are beginning to see an entirely new Scrooge. Partly, I like how giddy and goofy Scrooge acts. Partly, I think this is some of the book’s best writing and the movies are mostly true to the book with their dialogue. We can’t help but feel lighter and optimistic.  In the end, isn’t this all we really want that marks the key turning points in our life?  All we want is hope, a chance to achieve, have, be, or do that which desire. I think hope by itself is an amazing gift. I have talked to people who contemplated suicide and most of them will say that the lack of hope for a better tomorrow was a compelling thought that drove them to such despair.   

This Week’s Assignment

After we see Scrooge’s celebration about being alive, about not having his things pilfered and celebrating his chance to change, we see him out in public where he runs into the men that came to his business the previous day soliciting support for their effort to feed the poor. Scrooge greets the men with a Merry Christmas and they greet him with a Mr. Scrooge?  Scrooge responds, “That is my name, and I fear it may not be pleasant to you.”  Your assignment this week is to put yourself in this situation. Who is there that if you ran into would recall who you are and your name would not be pleasant to them?

See you next week…