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Scrooge: Posterboy for Passion
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Scrooge: Posterboy for Passion |
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Julie Jordan Scott Member
since 1999-09-19
Posts 146Bakersfield, CA USA 
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"SCROOGE!!!!!!!!!" Stop for a moment. What do you think of when you hear that name? Lets try it again. "SCROOOOOOOOOOGGGGEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Can you hear the ghost of Marley, Scrooge's partner beckoning for him on a Christmas night of long ago? Ebenezer Scrooge is normally thought of as a cantankerous old geezer who cares more about money than people. Scowling, bitter, cranky, and tired after a night filled with Spirited Visitors. Wait! Was Scrooge tired after the visits from the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come? No! He was not tired at all! Nor was he scowling, bitter, cranky or cantankerous! Scrooge was transformed from Grumbling Geezer into the poster child of Passionate Living! For someone who has nary a friend, Scrooge sure had some assistance when the world was its bleakest. Perhaps it is the time of year, the holiday season, when Magic like the transformation of Scrooge can spur us all into living passionately everyday. Lets see how Scrooge, Poster Child of Passion, evolved that early Christmas morning, 1860. First of all, on Christmas Eve, Scrooge was nasty to his bedraggled, needy yet somehow joyful despite his dreary circumstances, Bob Cratchitt. Scrooge even sneered at the precious imp and sadly ill Tiny Tim, stooping so low as to call the lad a parasite! He chased away do-gooders, scared kids, wounded his one caring relative on the planet, only to go home to his cold, drafty hovel of a home to spend another lonely Christmas. His hospitality is tested by his old buddy, his seven years dead partner Jacob Marley, who implores him to welcome the Spirit Visitors so he can make some good in his life. Ebenezer is all at once doubtful, scared, angry, curious and oddly enough, he seemed relieved to at least have one friendly visitor for the holiday. As the clock rang one am, his first Spirited Visitor arrived right on schedule. The Ghost of Christmas Past, well, I like to think she was the First Living Passionately Everyday Coach the world has known! Live Passionately Today Coach #1 (A.K.A. the Ghost of Christmas Past) took Scrooge on a tour of his early life, from boyhood, where he was abandoned by his parents through death and rejection. Young Ebenezer was lonely for friends since all his school chums had the "normal" lives he craved, yet pretended he did not. He greatly admired his charismatic boss, Mr. Fezziwig, who hosted a party where he proposed to the lovely Miss Belle. Life was grand for one chapter of young Ebenezer's life. Coach #1 coaxed Scrooge to see the value in the positive experiences as a young man......but she also took him to a place of utter grief and pain. Of lost love. Of his following his own experiences by holding tight to his emotion. He did not follow his heart. Instead, he wrapped it tightly in an ice box. Freezing out any love and compassion and joy he might have felt in the past. His heart beat in an icy cold chamber that deep within, the echo of the love he shared with Belle, and his sister flickered. Softly whispering...."Ebenezer....Ebenezer" Scrooge came out of his reverie right as his Live Passionately Today Coach #2, Ghost of Christmas Present arrived on the scene. He was ready this time, prepared for fight, prepared for the slight whisper and calling in his ear...."Ebenezer, Ebenezer, Ebenezer!" was that Belle? No, it was his nephew Fred's wife. Lovely young, dowry less lass. Beautiful, sweet, funny, bright eyed. Very in love. Very reminiscent of the dear lost love of Scrooge. Heart strings pulled, Coach #2 takes him to the home of his employee, Bob Cratchitt. In a working class section of town, he makes a comfortable if simple home for his family. He has a sickly yet contented little son, who is spiritual and thoughtful despite a life of pain. His brother and sisters and parents live to make his life as comfortable as possible for him. Little Tim is a Live Passionately Everyday Coach-to-Be as he teaches through how he lives his life. Scrooge is learning. Coach #2 answers his question, "Will Tiny Tim die? Please, Spirit, tell me he will not die?" The echo gets louder, and closer to Scrooge's core....."Ebenezer! Come home Ebenezer, come home!" Cheery yet stern and true, Coach #2 guides Scrooge in the very real fact that if He himself did not change his life, the future looked very bleak for little Tim. Yet if Scrooge allowed the echo that was calling him back, calling him home, calling him to himself? Poor old Scrooge. In a matter of hours he has visited shadows from so many years. He is exhausted. Emotionally spent. Yet the darkest hour, the hour when the most growth can happen. The point where as livers of our one and only life can do one of two things. We can claim our life! Begin! Or we can remain jailed by ourselves. Scrooges response? "COME AND GET ME, COACH #3, (Ghost of Christmases Yet to Be), Show me what you've got! I must change! I know you will guide me into the path I must take. I am ready! NOW LET'S BEGIN!" Awful scenes ensued. Nightmarish possibilities. Places where no one wants to go. His own death scene. A visit to a home grieving the death of a dear child. A death that Scrooge himself had the power to prevent. A visit to his own grave. In order for Scrooge to get back to himself, he had to give his old self up. He had to bury his old ways. Change old habits. He needed to say, "YES!" to his life. "YES!" to his passion. "YES!" to possibilities. When Scrooge awakened to Christmas Day, he awakened with what had been merely echos before as the rulers of his life! His long dormant love and yearning for family caused him to be reunited with his nephew, Fred, who he had long hated. Why? Because Fan, his beloved only sister, had died in childbirth. He gave large amounts of material wealth to the community, reawakening his love for the world at large. He gave with a pure and joyful heart, not one ruled by appearances. Finally, he became like his original mentor, Mr. Fezziwig. He gave his faithful employee Bob Cratchitt a well deserved raise. He became a second father to Tim, as well as a benefactor of sorts. Scrooge came home to himself. He became the Ebenezer he was meant to be. How did this happen? Three wise Live Passionately Today coaches, a willing spirit and a little bit of magic. This Christmas season, invite yourself home. Your Life! Claim it! Now Begin! Julie Jordan Scott is a Life Purpose Coach who specializes in helping people clarify their life purpose and live true to it. The founder of Live Passionately Today Coaching Services, Julie quit her job with local government to pursue her passions and has never looked back. Now her mission is to help others to do the same. Visit Julie at http://www.5passions.com/lptdcoaching.html |
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