Hello,
Learn From Ebenezer Scrooge:
There is Good Karma in Giving
1. Inspirational Quotation: What is karma?
If what goes around comes around,
would you still be a Scrooge?
2. Inspirational Thought:
One night last week, I sat down in front of the TV after dinner. Work and preparations for Christmas were stressing me out. I wanted to relax. As I inspected the TV guide, I was surprised. The guide listed no less than five film versions of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in the run up to Christmas.
There was the 1951 version with Alastair Sim, the 1988 modern remake with Bill Murray, the 1999 production with Patrick Stewart, a version with muppets, and a musical with Kelsey Grammar. Come to think of it, there could have been more.
In case you are unfamiliar, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a novel that was first published in 1843. It’s a classic tale, but why is the story still so popular today?
It’s because of Ebenezer Scrooge.
The novel begins on Christmas Eve. Ebenezer Scrooge is a selfish, stingy man who despises Christmas. He rebuffs his nephew’s invitation to join his family for Christmas dinner. He refuses to give to charity. And he makes his loyal but struggling clerk, Bob Cratchit, have Christmas day off without pay.
“Bah, humbug!” he replies famously.
It’s no wonder the name, Scrooge, has come to symbolize a miserly person.
As Scrooge spends Christmas Eve alone, he is visited by the ghost of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley. Marley warns Scrooge that if he doesn’t change, he will risk a fate like his--to be bound forever in the chains of his own greed.
In order to help Scrooge, Marley sends him three ghosts. The ghosts take him on an emotional journey to his past, present and future. Seeing his life flash before him, Scrooge realizes the error of his ways.
Christmas is about giving. And Scrooge wasn’t just selfish with money, more importantly, he was stingy with love.
Fortunately, there is hope.
Broken and full of remorse, Scrooge asks for a second chance. When he wakes on Christmas morning, he makes good his promise. He becomes a model of generosity and kindness. Scrooge becomes a happy man.
The story of Scrooge is the story of transformation.
However, the lesson of Ebenezer Scrooge is not just for Christmas.
3. Inspirational Tip:
Why is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens still popular today as it was nearly two hundred years ago?
I suspect that although we may not be as bad, there is a bit of a Scrooge in each of us.
It’s time to be honest.
A lot of times I find myself too busy to notice the needs of others. It’s so easy to take people for granted, especially when I’m trying to solve my own problems. And when I’m feeling blue, I feel as if I don’t have a lot to give.
But this is no excuse.
When we’re too busy, too preoccupied or depressed to give, it’s the time to give even more.
Why?
The act of giving is an act of love. And there is good karma in giving love.
Love transforms not just the receiver, but the giver. When we give to others, we ultimately give to ourselves. It’s a win-win situation.
How does this work?
Giving makes us feel good. When we give love, we feel love. And the more we give it, the more we feel it.
Feeling love makes us happy. Isn’t this the point--to be happy?
Ebenezer Scrooge realized this in the end.
If what goes around comes around, it doesn’t make sense to be a Scrooge.
The key is—don’t just give love when you feel like it. Give love to feel it.
Do this and you’ll have a blessed new year.
I think so!
Visit this page for more tips on being happy.
And be heartened by these stories. They're proof that giving love makes good friends and creates loving relationships. Do you have a story of your own to share?
In the meantime, I wish you all
Well, that's all for now. I hope you've enjoyed this issue.
Thanks to Wilson Free Clipart for the graphics.
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