Seasonal Effectiveness: Lessons from Rudolph

After a tumultuous November, my family has really embraced the upcoming holiday with open arms.  Normally the idea of putting up a tree and having multiple things to dust and vacuum around both exhausts and nauseates me, but this year, things are different.  We’re deriving joy from the smallest of sources, including the barrage of holiday programming that always hits post-Thanksgiving.

We had a family viewing of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer last week, and so many points resonated deeply with me.  I have been reading so much material on finding one’s destiny and purpose in life, and was able to view ol’ Rudy for more than I previously thought he was worth.

My gift to you, dear friends, a list of what I learned from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer regarding charting your course and living with your destiny in full view.

• You are born with your proverbial red nose, and if you attempt to hide it, it ain’t gonna work for long, and you’re going to sound really, really ridiculous.  Lest you forget, Rudolph was born, nose a-glowin’, and his father, Donner, slapped some mud on it and called it good.  Needless to say, this quick fix left Rudolph uncomfortable and sounding terribly congested.  At one point, he even objects, saying, “But Daddy, it’s not comfortable!” to which Donner replied, “There’s more to life than comfort-like self-respect!”  How true!  It can be more comfortable to hide your light-easier to fit in, easier to make money, easier to just coast on auto-pilot without ever having to tune into your emotional well-being.  However, that damn self-respect eventually creeps in and busts up the party, leaving you to decide whether or not to keep up the charade, or get real.  Do yourself and your nose a favor-look at your life, and look at what you want.  How much congruency do you see?  Is every day a list of shoulds and musts, or are you able to recognize some wants, desires, and needs?  It is so easy initially to deny ourselves for the sake of comfort, whether ours or other people’s, but there comes a point where acknowledging and living according to our desires and purpose becomes vital.  I didn’t say easy, I said vital.  Which brings us to….
• When you expose your red nose, expect people to go a little bit nuts. Hopefully it doesn’t result in the seizure-like activity that Rudolph’s tribe fell into, but trust that you will encounter those who are not open to you up and changing on them.  Parents may raise their eyebrows at your seemingly sudden passion for basket weaving and drum circles, colleagues may label you as The Crazy One Who Quit and Joined a Convent, but know that any negative reaction you receive is rooted in fear (for your safety or sanity) or pure, unadulterated jealousy that you had the chutzpah to seek out your predetermined role in this world.  It is tempting to keep the peace by keeping your mouth shut (and nose under wraps)–but you disturb silence consistently by inhaling and exhaling, and I doubt you’re going to quit that pesky breathing habit you have to make anyone happy.  Determining your place in the world and navigating your way to that destination isn’t voluntary-you’re already on the road.  If you continue to choose to avoid it, you’ll just crash and burn.  That’s all.
• Find your fellow misfits.  They are out there!  I know, it’s frightening enough that all of the people in your life think that you’ve lost your mind, and now you have to be all vulnerable and seek out others to surround your ‘new’ self with.  It may be as easy as stumbling upon an elf who gave up toy making for teeth, or it may mean long stretches of loneliness without someone to sing songs with throughout the trek with the Abominable Snowman’s gnashing jaws not far behind.  Regardless, you’ll need to drop your Donners for some doe-eyed admirers who not only accept your nose but LOVE IT.  It doesn’t require moving to a deserted island and cutting off all contact with the New World, but it may mean evaluating those who are in your life and deciding what they will contribute to your journey.  If they’re just going to trip you and laugh, do you really want them along for the marathon?
• You might save Christmas! Or babies.  Or whales. Or whale babies. Or whatever. The point is, why keep something under wraps that has the power to change everything?  Don’t ever discount your purpose as an insignificant, inconvenient blip on the radar that you should just ignore because Grandpa Ted would stroke out at the idea of you leaving a six-figure income for something you would actually love to do everyday.  Truly successful people are doing what they love, not just what they think they should be doing in order to achieve, and because of the love they radiate, they magnetize success. 

You have no idea how much you are capable of and what your little ol’ purpose may mean to the rest of us.  Dream big, act bigger.

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