Sheldon Mills: Welcome to Habit Masters. I'm Sheldon. I'm Jeff and we have a special Christmas episode today, actually, between I think Jeff and I, we were, we were kidding about how the Muppet Christmas Carol is gotta be a favorite of both of ours. Definitely. I don't know how many times, it's not a ton, but I've read a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens several times, and after discussing some things we've been discussing today, I'm excited to read it again. And we wanna share some things with you today about Christmas. This is our Christmas episode.
Jeff Corrigan: Yes. So whether you celebrate Christmas or not, the message of this episode is, is going to touch something in you because it's, it's really about sharing your light and your love. And all of us can get on board with that regardless of our religion or background or any or beliefs.
Love and light are something we all share and can, can get on board with, and that's really what the Christmas season is all about. So first let's talk about light, right? And actually I wanted to kick it off with a quote from, Maryanne Williamson.
And she says, our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. So this episode's really about shining your light. And I was talking to Sheldon. This came to me as I was watching a Muppet's. Christmas Carol. Cause I've been thinking a lot about moving at the speed of light and how that slows time down and allows you to do more and be more effective at contributing to the world with your talents and your gifts and all that you've been given.
And as I was watching this show and at the very end, Scrooge if you haven't seen it or read the book or you know if do it cuz it's amazing. It's life changing and he realizes that it's all about people. It's, it's all about. Living in the moment and creating light in this moment so that it creates light in the past and the future.
And that's what I realized in the moment. I was like, the only way to create light is to be the light. To be the light in every moment, whomever you're with, whatever you're doing. Be a light, be a shining light of love and gratitude and abundance in whatever you do. And I wrote in my journal the other day, I said, shine your light every day.
Like, this is like my new MO mantra. I was like, how can I shine my light every day, share my gifts in a way that builds others, encourages others, and spreads a message of hope and joy and peace and freedom to the world. And I just wanted to share, I think because it struck me as like as you get out of your own way and you live from a place of light.
And love you. Leave space for magic to happen, for people to share their own love, just like Maryanne Williamson's talking about, and to share their own gifts. Because so many of us have been trodden down throughout our lives to think that we don't have a lot of light to give, or that we are not good enough to share what's in our hearts, or that no one will listen to us and ho honestly, those are all.
Broken soundtracks that are taking away from your ability to be your best self and live your best life. And that's what we're all about on the show, is helping you live your best life and starting to be a light in as many moments as you can, will help you do that.
What did you wanna share, Sheldon, well, a couple thoughts
Sheldon Mills: before I, there's a probably my favorite section of Christmas, Carol. I'm gonna read a little bit to y'all. But before that, we were talking about light and how, in my mind I was like, what is the purpose of light?
And if you're a Christian famous verse in the Bible, you know, you don't light a candle and put it under a bushel. Why? Because that's not the reason it exists. Do you know what I mean? Like light is meant to, lighten, to brighten, to, to give light, right?
It's like all, I'm sure you've heard this, like all the darkness and all the universe can't extinguish the light from a single candle, right? Like light exists to brighten, to give light, to give life. Jeff, I was wondering if you'd shared a little bit about Scrooge at one point.
At the very end, he, he talks about I, I will live in the past, in the present and the future. . Right? And you were kind of explaining about how that that is the essence of, , time tipping, living 10 x. Do you know what I mean? It's, it's like the past is the past and the ghost of Christmas past.
She literally says that this is just a shadow of things that were, it is what it is. Don't blame me. Do you know what I mean? and how we see the past doesn't reflect what really happened, but are present and how we view it.
Jeff Corrigan: You're exactly right. Like we, we see the world through our present,
How we are now is how we view the past and we can actually shed light on the past by being a light today. And, and you actually create a light future by being a light today. The cute literally can transform the past and create a new future. by the way you treat the present. And by the way, you live in the present.
And, and I was talking to Sheldon about this, and at the end, Scrooge is talking to the ghost of Christmas future, and he's, he's showing him his own grave and he asks, he's like, okay, how can I erase this? And, and I realized, like him asking that question, you can't erase.
Your death. All of us will die eventually. Right? It's inevitable. Death. What do they say? Death and taxes, . Those are the only two things that are inevitable. Well, death is one of those things. And so when he asked that question, it's not about changing our death, but about changing how we live our life.
Cuz he, he was worried about his death because he had nothing to show for it. Every, like, all he cared about was money. All he cared about was putting others down and keeping them away from him. And then he realized it was really all about people. And you only can, your light only continues if you share that light with others.
And your future becomes bright only as you give it away. And, and that's what I like took from this moment was realizing that light like Sheldon was just saying, it cannot be hidden. It has to be given. . Right? And, and so as we shine our light and give our gifts and share our talents with the world and do it with boldness and practice those things that we've been holding onto, like, we don't want to die with our song inside of us, right?
And that's what Scrooge's story is all about, this transformation where he realizes I still have time to create a better future. , which transforms my past. Yeah. Because my past now becomes just a stepping stone to who I am becoming versus this dark and dreary path. And he realizes by treating my moment, my present with light, I can create a better past and a better future.
And live in all three, past, present, and future all at once. And it was just this weird awakening for me, Sheldon, that I. That's how you live past President Futures by being a light. It's the only way because time now doesn't exist because you're living in the moment and creating light.
wherever you go.
Sheldon Mills: Yeah, I think it's such genius. I mean, , I don't expect myself to ever write something that is as genius as the Christmas Carol. I mean, there's so many things about it, like the ghost of past, present, and future and what they represent, right? Mm-hmm. . And I mean, I've always thought it's, it's kind of, I used to really think it weird that the ghost of Christmas future is this ominous, you know, doesn't really.
because it's unknown. It's the future. It hasn't been written, you know? And, and the ghost of Christmas Pass is this young girl, and it's like, . These are the things as they are, there's, it's just a shadow of those things. Yeah. I like what you said though about what Scrooge really learns. All right. Do you wanna hear, hear my favorite part of the entire?
Yes, we do. Tell us. Okay. Marley has appeared to Scrooge and I love the way it's written. I mean, I, I love various renditions of it in the movies, but lemme just read a little bit from the book itself. And this is Marley. He says It is required of every man, the gosh return, that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow men and travel far and wide.
And that if the spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world. Oh, whoa, is me a witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth. And turn to happiness and Scrooge and Marley go back and forth, right? And he's like, Marley, speak comfort to me.
I have none to give. Replied the ghost. It comes from other regions. Ebenezer. Scrooge is conveyed by other ministers to other kinds of men. So good. And, and he is just talking back and forth and. You know, Scrooge is like, ah, thinking and contemplating and trying to apply. You know, he, Marley's show tells him, he's like, I, I forged these chains in life, double ironed.
, and he says, you yourself have these chains, Ebenezer Scrooge, , right? And he's like, but Jacob, you know, you are always a good man. A man of business. Business cried the ghost ring in his hands. Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business, charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence all were all my business.
The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water and the comprehensive ocean of my business, I get chills every time I read. Because to me it's just what are you really focused on, right? What, yeah, what do you really want? What is really going to make a difference in your life and the life of those around you?
I think the power in the ghost of Christmas future is that it was showing him the seeds that he was sowing and the current trajectory of his life. Where it was going to go. Right. And for all of us destitute. Nothing. Right. Nothing. Right. Because, you know, his business was on his trade and his money, you know, and, and like Marley said, it's like business.
It wasn't to do with the welfare, with benevolence, with charity. The dealings of my trade were, but a drop of water and the comprehensive ocean of my business. Right. And I think we can do that. I think with the help of others with reflection, we can see what the future's taking us.
Whatever we're doing now, we can get a glimpse of where that's gonna lead, right? Mm-hmm. . It's almost like, What is it the, a Christmas store? No, no, no. George . What's his name? What's the movie? Uh, James, uh, George. There's the, there's the angel that appears to him because he thinks his life isn't worth.
Oh yeah. George Bailey. George Bailey. Right. And potter's like, you're worth more than dead. We worth more dead than alive. Right. And the gift he gives him is a picture of what had been without him, right? Mm-hmm. . And it's kind of like the ghost of Christmas future. The gift he's giving Scrooge is, an image of of what his future holds.
Yeah. If he doesn't change it,
Jeff Corrigan: yeah. Well, and I think so many of us have an idea of what that is, , but, but we're allowing the past to define our present. And what we really need to do is change our present so that we can see the past differently and create a different future. Yes. And that's, that's where the power really is, is change the present.
Alters your view of the past because you're now a different person and transforms your future because you're planting new seeds. Yeah, that's, that's the whole goal of this episode really is to help you understand how shining your light today can change both the past and the future in a lot of ways.
Yeah. Yes.
Sheldon Mills: Jeff and I are talking a lot about how following your dreams, get after it. You know what I mean? Make it happen. And at the same time, there's this this part of where like, is what you're going after really gonna bring you what you want? Is the seed you're planting actually gonna grow the fruit? that you really want, is this really gonna make you happy?
Is this really going to take you where you wanna go? Right.
Jeff Corrigan: Well, and And to put it into Marley's words, right, is it really the business you're in? Yes. Like, so a lot of times we worry so much about what we're doing and we don't often think how this is taking us away from the things that matter most.
Right. So, Live your dreams. Absolutely and share your light. And share your gifts to the best of your ability, but not at the expense of those things that matter most, which are people, your family, your friends, your relations, those people who you are connected to in the world that need your light.
And you can, you can do both. You can be the creative. Sharing your gifts, doing all those things. Wow. Being a light to others, right? Wow. Like that's what Scrooge realize in the end was that he had all this abundance that he had been keeping to himself. That really wasn't abundance at all. It's only abundance if you share it.
Right. . Like otherwise, it just rots away. And we actually had this thought, and Sheldon brought this up, is something we've said in previous episodes, but how you spend your time is how you show your love. And we had a little bit of a nuance to this because I think it's an, there's an important distinction that comes with this because I want to help you guys.
Okay. Well you've been talking about light and how wonderful it just to share and things like that. How do we make this more practical? for this Christmas season. How can you guys and us start showing our love and sharing our light a little more each moment and creating a better past, present, and future?
Like Ben Hardy says, your identity is what you're most committed to. Well, I would say that the things you spend the most time on are the things you're most committed to, right? Sheldon? It's, so what's the nuance though? How does this, where's the distinction? The nuance we've discovered is
Sheldon Mills: that, you've probably heard this, you know, how do you spell love?
T i m e, right? . How? How you give your time, right? Which is true. And at the same time it's deeper than that. Meaning, quantity is important, but quality is essential. It's an essential part of showing your love through your time, and it's the focus and the attention and the energy. So, so here's an example, right?
Mm-hmm. , you could go for a walk with your kid, be on your phone, answer a couple questions, be out in nature, and that's great, right? And it's like, oh, check in your, your email and stuff like that. This is the quintessential example, or, and that could take an hour. Or the next time your child wants something, right?
Turn your entire body toward them. Get down to your eye level with them. Look at them in the eye and give them your complete and full attention for five minutes. Mm-hmm. right? And be there present. Fully present for five minutes. And what do you think's more impa, impactful? The hour of. Oh yeah. You go to the park with them and you play a little with them on your phone and play with them a little bit more talking to somebody over here.
Do you know what I mean? Like, it's not just the time, it's intentional, it's the intentional time. Mm-hmm. that really makes
Jeff Corrigan: the difference. Yeah, because I, I feel like distracted time isn't really time. And I'm, I'm very guilty of this by the way, , like this is not me telling you, judging you. This is me saying like, this is something we're learning and it's now a mantra of mine.
I'm putting it on my wall. Intentional time and and intentional time also would, would allude to the fact that you have prepared and even put energy and focus into creating an experience for this. And it doesn't mean you have to go do something special or anything, but it's just saying, I've, I've dedicated this time on my calendar.
I am, I know my phone's off. Like the intentional time, whatever that looks like for you in creating an experience with your significant other, your spouse is, is looking like, okay, I'm gonna go on a date. If you know you're on a take grades on the calendar, how can you make it even more intentional? And we're gonna put our phones away.
You've got some things planned like. Putting these things into practice of intentional time, or even, let's take a more day-to-day example when you're out doing your shopping right? Every out, doing holiday shopping these days. So you're out doing shopping.
You can interact with all kinds of cashiers and employees of different companies and things like that, and it's, it's like how can you give their them your attention? Even it's for intentional time with them for the 10 minutes that you're there, or the five minutes or two minutes that you're in front of them, ask 'em how her day was, what, whatever that looks.
In sharing these moments with people, because that's what light really is. It's lifting up people. And I'll give you an example cause I've been thinking about this in my own life, is how can I be a more, a light in people's lives? And I went to, I ordered some food for lunch one day and I went to pick it up.
And the girl that was there, she was really, really nice and conversational. She's like, oh, how's your day going? Da da da da. And started asking me questions and I started talking to her and we started chatting about a few things. And I, she was so friendly in fact that I was like, you know, this is someone who I could see working at our store,
So I called her up after and I said, Hey, were you just the one I was talking to? And she's like, yeah. And I was like, Hey, I really thought you were super friendly. And might be a good fit in our culture cuz we have a very like, friendly, focused culture at our store. And we're hiring in the next couple weeks, I'd love for you to apply.
Like, I can't guarantee a job. Obviously you gotta , you gotta win that. But I, I'm happy to give you, get your resume and get you an interview. And it was just one of those moments where I realized for me, now obviously not everybody can go around giving people jobs or applications, but I'm just saying it was it was one of those moments.
we shared a little bit of light and I felt like I could be a light in her day. Whether she gets the job or not doesn't necessarily matter. I made her feel good by saying, Hey, I thought you were really friendly , and you might be a good fit for this position that we have open. And I think that's something we can do more often is just be present with people and see their gifts and let them know we see their gifts.
There's nothing more. I would say more exciting in life than when someone gives you a sincere compliment like, Hey, I just met you. And I think, or even if you've known them for a long time people, that goes a long way with people to building trust, sharing light. And anyway, that's just some, a couple of practical examples that I think you can use in this system and, and It's just at this practice of intentional time, like sharing your light with intentional time with people, and also the work that you do.
Sheldon and I, you know, if we're writing or anything like that, make it intentional time. What are you focused on doing? What are you trying to create? How is this gonna benefit those? It touches
Christmas episode. Christmas episode,
Sheldon Mills: Yeah. Anything else we wanna finish with there? Jeff?
Jeff Corrigan: I would just say to me and to Sheldon and to all of you, let's be a light to someone today in whatever way we can.
Anything you want to add?
Sheldon Mills: ah, I'm thinking somewhat profoundly or not thinking profoundly. I'm trying to digest what we've been talking about and cuz we've been talking about this for a while. We've recorded this in the last 20 minutes or so, but this has been the conversation for quite some time. My gift to myself and to others this Christmas season is to try and be more deliberate.
About connecting and showing love, both to others, to my family, particularly, my wife, and my kids. But everyone I come in contact with. and try and give them a little more time or, or focus, I wanna say time, but I'm with them like, like mm-hmm. . If you're to look from the surface, my time hasn't changed, but my focus and my intention, my, my deliberate practice or whatever you wanna call it, if I can be more focused than that, right?
It becomes more meaningful, it becomes more magical. I make real connections. I lift people. I let my light shine.
Jeff Corrigan: Doing that. And Mike, and you give permission to others, do you do the
Sheldon Mills: same and you give permission to others? That's what, it just feeds on itself. It just grows,
Jeff Corrigan: yeah. Well, and that's, that's what light does, right?
You think about, I mean, they compare it to the fire a lot and. Fire grows . Right? Spreading your light consumes It is, yeah. It is like a fire, right? It is. It can grow. And the thing that's going to carry your message, your gifts, your talents to the future is you sharing those and being a light to those around you.
And you see that everywhere in the. , and I know all of us, all of us dreamers, anybody listening to this show, , if you're a creative, if you're a dreamer, if you're like, you have permission to do this, you have permission to share your light, you have permission to be a change maker, to share your love, to share your talents, and not from me, you gotta give yourself permission because that's the person that's stopping you.
And so I would say to that, Merry Christmas to all Happy Holidays, whatever holiday you celebrate and it's time to start living your best life. Let your lights so shine.
