A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol is an evergreen, world-famous novella, telling the story of the rich but miserable, old Ebenezer Scrooge who, after being visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, realizes there’s more to life than money, opens his heart, and changes his miserly ways.

On the 7th anniversary of his business partner Jacob Marley’s death, rich, old industrialist Ebenezer Scrooge spends yet another Christmas Eve by himself. He hates the holiday and everything about it. Walking the streets of London, he snubs the poor, rejects his nephew’s Christmas party invitation, and barely gives his employee Bob Cratchit the day off.

The one thing Scrooge can’t dismiss with his catchphrase “Bah! Humbug!” is the ghost of Marley, who appears to him that night, locked in chains. Having spent his life in greed and selfishness, Marley warns Scrooge to heed the warnings of 3 more ghosts about to visit him.

Look, I get it. Life is tough! Everyone wants something from you. It’s hard to make money, let alone find time to enjoy life and achieve your biggest goals. As a result, we all focus on ourselves most of the time, and sometimes, we get carried away and outright self-obsessed. That’s normal.

What’s not normal but important is to listen to your friends and family when they tell you that, “Hey, you’ve been getting into your own head a little much lately.” The only thing rarer than a kind invitation to shift your attention is someone who takes that reminder seriously. If you’re lucky enough to receive one, listen to it.

As promised, more ghosts show up at Scrooge’s house that night. The Ghost of Christmas Past takes him back to his childhood, showing him he once had meaningful relationships with both his sister and his first boss. Once upon a time, Scrooge was even engaged, but his fiancée Belle left him once he became obsessed with money. The Ghost of Christmas Present, meanwhile, takes Scrooge to various Christmas celebrations around town, including Bob Cratchit’s scant dinner with his family and disabled son Tim. When they visit Scrooge’s nephew’s party after all, Scrooge actually enjoys himself. Too soon, their time is up. When you focus on being there for others, a weight falls off your shoulders. You take yourself less seriously and worry less about the future. Chances are, you don’t even have to look far to find evidence that you can, have been, and are participating in society beyond just working for your own gain. Did you protect your siblings when you were younger? Volunteer to run the chess club at school? Maybe, there’s an event happening in your town you’d love to attend right now.…