It's December and we're starting to get ready for Christmas, aren't we? … and if we fast-forward our thoughts, we reach the period when, on email, WhatsApp, Messenger and any social media platform, you start receiving Christmas messages. There are dozens. Hundreds. And at some point you select one of them and forward it to others too, hoping that your message will be read and appreciated. But you know for sure that your message has a very good chance of ending up in spam or joining the other dozens and hundreds of messages that your acquaintances also receive… and which have no impact, no relevance.
So you end up wondering what a Christmas message that actually reaches its audience looks like? One that is authentic, relevant and that reaches every person who reads it? I'm thinking of one different from the clichés that talk about the smell of sarmale, the sound of jingling bells and the whole family gathered around the tree, because this Christmas, due to the pandemic but also the threat of a financial crisis, will be different, won't it?
Such a message should be authentic, shouldn't it? It should be unique and have impact, meaning it should speak of truths, open your mind and let you see new perspectives. It should help you find solutions that you can apply quickly and that produce immediate results, right? But… if I check my Facebook or LinkedIn account… I already have too many such messages, and they talk too much about "how to become an expert & superman in 3-5 simple steps", and I no longer believe in all those… statements (let's not call them lies). Too many experts, too many specialists, way too many people eager to share their knowledge and success, on condition that you become their subscriber, and later their client…
Such a message should be introspective, shouldn't it? It should help you find resources within yourself that you didn't know you had, help you rediscover yourself, reinvent yourself… And all these messages contain questions, more or fewer, but there are some questions that dig deep… and that don't reach a concrete answer. (even the title of the article can turn into such a question, without an answer, right? Well, lately I've received a lot of such questions, too many I think, and I miss certainty and security, I miss knowing what tomorrow will bring and especially that I'll be able to go outside and see my loved ones without having to wear a mask and keep social distance. I miss certainty and security…
Such a message should offer comfort. It should make your heart sing with joy, or at least convey warmth, comfort and understanding. We need understanding, we need compassion, because this year has put us all through a hard test and we feel that our resources are about to run out. And it often happens to me that I talk to a friend, and when I get to open up and tell them "… it's hard for me", my friend, animated by the best intentions, shows me how good I have it because I have family, a job, friends, I'm healthy and financially I'm okay. Or at least I don't have all of them, not all at once, but… they exist. And that I should open my eyes wide and see them. Has this happened to you too? Do you have such friends, who simply deny the reality you're living in and offer you a much more positive, more optimistic one? But which you feel is inappropriate at that moment, and you reject it. Because sometimes you just need someone to listen to you, without judging you or giving you solutions to your problems.
It's hard to write such a Christmas message, don't you agree? Maybe it doesn't even have to be written. Maybe all we have to do is stop what we're doing, breathe, and start seeing the people around us. We might see that some will need encouragement, others will need a new perspective brought by a question, and others just need someone to listen to them. That's all. And once you've done all these things, think about what the reaction of the people around you will be and what your Christmas will be like.
Have the Christmas you wish for!
Author
Alexandru Căruntu
(see LinkedIn Profile)