"I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year."

Charles Dickens - 1812 - 1870.- Day 360 of 2024: 6 remain

The quote "I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year." comes from Charles Dickens’s novella, A Christmas Carol.

Published in December 1843, it is one of the most loved and influential Christmas stories ever. It is a novella that tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly, cold-hearted man who learns the true meaning of Christmas through supernatural visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.

Where across the course of your day today, could you consider what the true meaning of Christmas is to you?

In the last chapter, Ebenezer Scrooge speaks of his transformation after being visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. This moment signifies Scrooge’s heartfelt commitment to embracing the spirit of Christmas—not just during the holiday season but throughout his life.

Where across the course of your day today, could you consider what you would have to commit to changing to create a Happy Christmas every day?

Scrooge’s journey from greed and isolation to generosity and community demonstrates the power of change and redemption, a timeless message.

Charles Dickens was deeply concerned about poverty and social inequality. The book highlights the plight of the poor in Victorian England and reminds readers of their moral obligation to care for others.

Through Scrooge’s transformation, Dickens emphasizes the joy of giving and sharing with others.

Where across your day today, could you consider who else besides yourself would benefit from your personal transformation?

Dicken’s classic story reinforced the idea of Christmas as a time for family, compassion, and community.

Scrooge’s redemption solidified the values of kindness, charity, and spreading cheer during the season.

On Christmas Day, I go to the gym to make the most of the day and be the best version of myself. No one else is there, and I am free to use any gym equipment I like.

The workout I do is designed to use every muscle in the body.

I will complete this workout in a sequence. 10 bench presses, 10 bent-over rows, 10 deadlifts, 10 bicep curls, 10 squats, and 10 overhead presses. It’s done without rest, and I time how long it takes.

I do this sequence five times, and it can take less than half an hour.

The beauty of this workout is that it is scalable. I adjust the weight for my clients to the individual’s strength or fitness levels. It’s not a one-size-fits-all; it’s a one-style fits-all.

My oldest client is eighty-nine, and my youngest was fourteen when he trained with me to make the school rowing team, which he did. A male university student aged nineteen performed the same routine as the octogenarian. She does the routine with dumbbells between 2kg and 4kg, while the 19-year-old does it with a 40kg barbell (the same weight I use)

I warm up with 5 minutes on the rowing machine, and once I’m done, I know that I have earned myself a Christmas feast and can eat whatever the Dickens I like today.

While you’re thinking about that, think about this and have a Gr8 Christmas Day.

Be well.

DL

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas."

Calvin Coolidge - 1872 - 1933