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It’s said that Christmas is a time for thinking about other people – and particularly those less fortunate than ourselves, and this is perfectly true.

Perhaps Charles Dickens‘ “A Christmas Carol” sums up the true spirit of Christmas better than any other story ever written as Ebenezer Scrooge has his night-time epiphany that reveals to him that it still not too late to see the light – and to share his wealth and good cheer with people he knows and, deep down, loves. In short, he becomes a true humanitarian.

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Learn a lesson from Dickens’ Christmas Carol

“Alaistair Sim as Scrooge” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by  Su Bee Buzz!  

But let’s think about this great tale for a moment – and ask ourselves where the real and fundamental transformation takes place. The answer is that it’s within Ebenezer Scrooge himself, rather than his outward deeds of kindness. In many ways, Scrooge had forgotten how to love himself and the so the real change occurs here within in his attitude to himself. He learns to truly love his own spirit and this then radiates out through his famous “goodwill to all men”.

There’s a key message in all this for all of us; the most important person to learn to truly love at Christmas is oneself. In this way, you will come to express yourself in all your words and deeds more honestly than perhaps you have ever done. And as part of that transformation will probably come a caring and sharing with other people.

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Being true to yourself is the first step to loving yourself

“Hearts” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by  eirikso  

Learning to love yourself isn’t about acting in a selfish way. It is finding the courage to express who you truly are at all times and however uncomfortable that may make you feel at first. Learning to be who you really are is the greatest act of honesty any of us can ever make – and people around you will learn to love that honesty. This is the way of humanity. When we speak to others directly from our hearts without overlaying that communication with too much thought (which is actually another way of describing the true “ego”) then the recipient also understands this in a heartfelt, fundamental way.

When you do the opposite and don’t love yourself – so the inverse is true. Most of us do this most of the time in today’s society. We’re taught and we learn to hide our feelings and to try and come across as smart, intelligent, beautiful, fashionable or whatever else – but all this stuff hides our true selves. The real truth is that finding your true self and expressing your true self through self-love and awareness expresses the beauty that is already inherent within you. And most of the time, this will involve being caring and understanding towards others – which is truly part of the Christmas spirit.

So take a little time to reflect on Ebenezer Scrooge and his epiphany and transformation – because there’s a little bit of the Scrooge in all of us in different ways, no matter how outwardly generous we may be and appear. And please learn Scrooge’s lesson – to love yourself this Christmas.