We all know the story, nearly by heart. We know the scary parts, the funny parts, and the tender parts.
Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” has entertained – and haunted – generations for over 173 years. Except for the Nativity story itself, it may very well be the best-known story of the season.
Bob Welch, a journalist and teacher is the author of “52 Lessons from A Christmas Carol.”
Welch captures succinctly why the story works so well: “Beyond entertaining us, Dickens wanted to make us uncomfortable, because it’s only after we get a touch uneasy with ourselves that we open ourselves to change.”
As the triumphant and touching end of the story goes, Scrooge is able to defeat a lifetime of selfishness and the worship of money to become a new man with an entirely new outlook on life. He learns how to be patient, kind and generous.
The story can teach us a lot. Here are seven good lessons, as outlined by Welch:
1. Learning begins with listening. Once Scrooge understands the Spirits have his best interests at heart, he willingly lets them lead. “Spirit,” he tells the Ghost of Christmas Present, “conduct me where you will.” When we listen, we learn. When we learn, we have the potential to grow and change.
2. Humility enhances vision. Scrooge feels sorrow at past memories. He feels remorse for having treated people badly. In short, he humbles himself and pledges to do better.
3. Regret leads to renewal. Regret is not meant to be wallowed in, but regret is the rocket booster on a space shuttle that allows the craft to soar to new heights, then detaches from it and falls helplessly into the Atlantic Ocean.
4. There’s joy in starting over. On Christmas morning, Scrooge reminds us that starting over washes us in newness and gives us the energy we need to figure out difficult things.
5. We must be present to win. On Christmas morn, one of the first things Scrooge does after realizing he’s been given a second chance at life is to fling open his window. He moves from self to the world at large. He notices life around him instead of only himself.
6. Seeking forgiveness is a strength, not a weakness. Actions often say we’re sorry more than words. For example, the born-again Scrooge makes a financial pledge to one of the two solicitors for the poor whom Ebenezer all but threw out of his office the previous day. Scrooge was saying, in essence: I am sorry for being so stingy my entire life. That wasn’t easy. But it affirmed that Scrooge’s turnaround is real stuff.
7. It’s never too late to change. Nobody would have bet a pound on Scrooge turning his life around, but nobody is beyond change if they pursue it and invest in it. As someone once said, the best time to plant a tree was 50 years ago, but the second best time is now. It’s a lesson that Ebenezer Scrooge teaches us well every Christmas.
Have a great holiday week.
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