The Who's Down in Whoville Like Christmas A Lot... What?!

Time to read: 46 seconds

I know this is a Christmas show. Bear with me. I'm making a point.

I know this is a Christmas show. Bear with me. I'm making a point.

It's hard to know what to say during this pandemic, the appropriate balance of acknowledging the pain and devastation and shining light in the darkness. Today takes you toward light with my favorite cartoon.

The Grinch is my #1 favorite show of all time. When I was in second grade, I painted the Grinch on the library wall at my school. I've watched the show every Christmas for 52 years (assuming I watched it as a baby which is doubtful given my organic-food-limited-TV-no-sugar-1970s parents).

Anyway, the whole point of the Grinch is that this dude called the Grinch steals all the trappings of Christmas from the happy little Who's. When they arise on Christmas morning, everything is gone - food, toys, trees, decorations. The Grinch expects that he has crushed their spirits and listens to hear their cries of anguish.

And what do the Who's do?

They sing.

They stand in a circle and sing. This story speaks to the power of the Who human spirit. The message: your spirt is stronger than the trappings of your life.

In this time when you have been stripped of all the features of your life - volunteer activities, social events, shopping, maybe work, school, even planning for the future, your spirit remains powerful. Your spirit is never for sale, and it can't be compromised.

So, today, I wish you confidence of spirit. You are stronger than the circumstances that surround you. Lean into that spirit to find what you need.

Then sing.

I hope this helps.

Christina

P.S. I wanted to make sure you see the free resources I've created to help you navigate these challenging times. Please pass them around to your people.

1. The Corporate Rebel Daily: We're in the 4th week of meeting every morning at 9:00 CT, M-F. A vibrant community shows up each day, and people report feeling uplifted, connected, and calm. You only have to join once, and then come whenever you can. Bathrobes and hoodies welcome. Sign up to get the Zoom link here.

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3. The Unconventional Guide to Working from Home: This is a downloadable pdf of practical tips and big picture strategies to help you be efficient, focused and effective at home. Click to download the pdf here.

 

What's your excuse?

It's a scorcher! Spend one minute or less reading this in your air conditioning!

From my 12-year-old to you.

From my 12-year-old to you.

My 12-year-old daughter is the keeper of my screen savers. She surprises me regularly with inspirational quotes interspersed with photos of Taylor Swift. (Equally inspirational, I assure you.)

The quote above is what I found on my screen last week, and it got me thinking about you.

The world has been intense lately. If you live in Minnesota, you have a front row seat on the protests and the conversation about racial justice. If you watch the news, you've heard about what's happening in Turkey, Baton Rogue, Dallas, and the conventions. At our house, we have no shower, no kitchen, and all our belongings are in boxes. We are covered in dust and living in 100-degree weather.

This is what my office looks like today. The state of my office (no files, no desk, no chair) present me with the perfect excuse to not take calls, not write newsletters, not show up.

All of these things make great excuses to stop. And yet, you still have to go to work, move forward on the things you care about, feed your family, and show up every day.

What's the excuse that is currently holding you back? Here are some popular options:

  • my voice doesn't matter
  • my house is a wreck
  • too busy
  • too tired
  • out of town
  • it's all too complicated; I don't know what to do

Per my daughter's quote, you only have to be a bit stronger than your strongest excuse. Take a good look at the excuses you're telling yourself and find the way to be stronger.

I've said this before. No matter what the context, whether you are the leader of a corporate team, your family or a social movement, YOU are needed.

No excuses.

In love,

Christina

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