Invitations: Key to change

Sometimes all it takes is an invitation to lead one to make lasting, positive changes in one's life.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens illustrates this principle. The play starts out with Scrooge, a greedy and selfish businessman, sitting in his cold and dreary office the day before Christmas. He then receives three invitations. First, his assistant asks him if he may start a fire to warm the office. Second, he is visited by his nephew who invites him to dinner on Christmas eve. Finally, two men collecting money for a charitable organization come by and invite Scrooge to give a donation. He rejects each of these invitations, but these invitations ultimately become a catalyst and foreshadowing of his ultimate transformation from the most self-interested members of his community to the greatest giver.

After the play, it struck me that Scrooge’s name is synonymous with greed, selfishness, and hatred of Christmas when in reality he should be a symbol of hope that the most hardened person can change.

Scrooge’s nephew made it a point to invite Scrooge to dinner on Christmas eve because as he explains it later, he believed in Scrooge and wanted to give him a chance to change.

Giving your family members, friends or associates a chance to change from who they are to who they are capable of becoming is a great gift all are capable of giving. Seeing others potential and inviting them to reach toward that potential is another gift we can give people that may have powerful implications on the direction of their future.