4 Ghost and a Long Night | A Dickens Christmas

1
00:00:00,530 --> 00:00:07,020
Are you hard headed, stubborn, set in your
ways, bullheaded, rigid, and flexible?

2
00:00:07,270 --> 00:00:08,280
I can go on and on.

3
00:00:08,990 --> 00:00:13,450
Chances are, as a man, you probably have
a little of that come shining through

4
00:00:14,790 --> 00:00:16,250
sometimes, at least part of the time.

5
00:00:16,259 --> 00:00:19,449
If we asked the people in your life,
they would probably agree that at

6
00:00:19,449 --> 00:00:22,860
least part of the time you fall
into that category just like I do.

7
00:00:24,150 --> 00:00:25,850
I certainly am, and I know it.

8
00:00:26,910 --> 00:00:32,700
Now, it can be one of our finest
qualities as men, And one of our worst.

9
00:00:33,870 --> 00:00:37,000
In Charles Dickens A Christmas
Carol, we see this unfold.

10
00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:40,730
Hear me, my time is nearly gone.

11
00:00:40,940 --> 00:00:44,319
I am here tonight to warn you
that you have yet a chance and

12
00:00:44,319 --> 00:00:45,960
a hope of escaping my fate.

13
00:00:46,670 --> 00:00:49,850
A chance and a hope that I have
made possible for you, Ebenezer.

14
00:00:50,669 --> 00:00:52,550
You were always a good
friend to me, thank you.

15
00:00:53,299 --> 00:00:55,430
You will be haunted by three spirits.

16
00:00:56,129 --> 00:00:59,319
Without their visit, you cannot
hope to shun the path I tread.

17
00:00:59,879 --> 00:01:02,919
Expect the first tomorrow
night when the bell tolls one.

18
00:01:04,509 --> 00:01:07,680
Now, if you're not familiar with
Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol,

19
00:01:08,490 --> 00:01:11,539
I certainly prefer the Muppets
version of the holiday classic.

20
00:01:12,659 --> 00:01:14,260
Big, well that's just
my personality, I do.

21
00:01:14,910 --> 00:01:17,399
Uh, the VeggieTale version
is a close second, but I like

22
00:01:17,399 --> 00:01:18,659
the Muppets version the best.

23
00:01:18,990 --> 00:01:21,089
I'm sure you can find
lots of versions of this.

24
00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:27,820
The scene always made me think, who
could possibly be that stubborn that

25
00:01:27,820 --> 00:01:34,265
it took something so ridiculous to
get its attention as four ghosts Well,

26
00:01:38,705 --> 00:01:42,164
then I have to stop and be honest and
realize that sometimes that might be me.

27
00:01:42,535 --> 00:01:44,904
So on today's episode, we're
going to see if we can do this

28
00:01:44,934 --> 00:01:46,794
with a little less haunting.

29
00:01:47,134 --> 00:01:48,324
So let's get into it.

30
00:01:54,085 --> 00:01:55,384
Here's the million dollar question.

31
00:01:55,975 --> 00:01:59,564
How do men like us reach our full
potential, growing to the men we

32
00:01:59,565 --> 00:02:03,785
dream of being, while taking care
of our responsibilities, working,

33
00:02:04,115 --> 00:02:07,544
being good husbands, fathers,
and still take care of ourselves?

34
00:02:08,524 --> 00:02:10,024
Well, that's the big question.

35
00:02:10,794 --> 00:02:11,609
In this podcast?

36
00:02:11,929 --> 00:02:13,660
We'll help you answer
those questions and more.

37
00:02:13,929 --> 00:02:16,570
My name is Brent and welcome
to the Fabled Man podcast.

38
00:02:20,710 --> 00:02:22,320
It's four days until Christmas.

39
00:02:22,810 --> 00:02:26,559
Some of us are scrambling because we
procrastinate and some of us are just

40
00:02:26,559 --> 00:02:28,790
excited because we totally are ready.

41
00:02:29,609 --> 00:02:33,500
Not me, but some people I'm sure
regardless of how you feel about

42
00:02:33,500 --> 00:02:37,909
Christmas, it's an interesting
time and it's not a bad time

43
00:02:37,909 --> 00:02:39,180
for a little self reflection.

44
00:02:40,260 --> 00:02:41,079
I like to think.

45
00:02:41,545 --> 00:02:46,195
I'm a little more observant and open
minded than Scrooge was in A Christmas

46
00:02:46,195 --> 00:02:49,325
Carol, even if I am a bit of a Grinch.

47
00:02:49,325 --> 00:02:51,224
I'm, that's me in the household.

48
00:02:51,875 --> 00:02:55,474
I saw the meme this year that
says, you know, life's interesting

49
00:02:55,474 --> 00:02:57,834
when you're a buddy of the elf
and you're married to the Grinch.

50
00:02:58,304 --> 00:02:59,614
That's me and my wife, totally.

51
00:03:01,054 --> 00:03:05,795
However, it's a good idea to take a
look under the hood and see if we're

52
00:03:05,864 --> 00:03:10,674
a little more open minded to what
we can learn from this time of year.

53
00:03:10,690 --> 00:03:17,370
Maybe sans ghost, by the way,
my name is Brent and welcome

54
00:03:17,370 --> 00:03:18,580
to the fallible man podcast.

55
00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,980
You're home for all things, man,
big shout out to fallible nation.

56
00:03:21,990 --> 00:03:22,950
That's our private community.

57
00:03:22,950 --> 00:03:25,770
You can find more on that in the
description and a warm welcome

58
00:03:25,830 --> 00:03:26,930
to our first time listeners.

59
00:03:26,930 --> 00:03:29,330
Hey, there's a lot going on in your life.

60
00:03:29,350 --> 00:03:31,370
We know there's a lot of things
fighting for your attention.

61
00:03:31,630 --> 00:03:35,660
So thanks for checking us out and giving
us a listen, be sure and leave us a review

62
00:03:36,079 --> 00:03:39,850
or a comment on whatever platform you want
to reach out to us at, at the fallible

63
00:03:39,850 --> 00:03:41,710
man on most social media platforms.

64
00:03:42,119 --> 00:03:45,259
Let us know what you thought of the
show, but thanks for checking us out.

65
00:03:45,380 --> 00:03:51,969
In the meantime, this Christmas season,
may I suggest to consider taking a cue

66
00:03:51,969 --> 00:03:56,210
from our dear friend, Charles Dickens
and maybe forgiving for all that horrible

67
00:03:56,210 --> 00:03:59,550
nonsense we had to endure reading in
high school and junior high English.

68
00:04:00,645 --> 00:04:06,454
But let's, let's give him a little,
a little wiggle room, right?

69
00:04:06,885 --> 00:04:09,144
Because I think there's
something we can learn.

70
00:04:10,105 --> 00:04:13,935
Maybe you don't have a Jacob Marley
come visit you or remind you that you

71
00:04:13,935 --> 00:04:15,755
need to examine what's important to you.

72
00:04:16,044 --> 00:04:17,454
What really matters in this life?

73
00:04:17,485 --> 00:04:18,904
Because that's in essence what happens.

74
00:04:19,575 --> 00:04:20,704
Sorry for the spoilers.

75
00:04:20,704 --> 00:04:24,695
If you haven't actually read the book or
seen one of the many, many, many movies.

76
00:04:25,825 --> 00:04:27,825
It's really not hard to find.

77
00:04:28,970 --> 00:04:32,990
A Jacob Marley, if you don't have one
in your life though, because there are

78
00:04:32,990 --> 00:04:35,409
people sloshed all over this, this time.

79
00:04:35,409 --> 00:04:39,300
And they are more than willing at
this time of year to pour out their

80
00:04:39,300 --> 00:04:42,080
tale of woe and how bad life is.

81
00:04:43,249 --> 00:04:50,550
And so if you don't have a Jacob Marley to
prod you to contemplate, like said, you,

82
00:04:50,650 --> 00:04:56,090
you can probably find one of the local bar
or consider this, your personal haunting.

83
00:04:56,140 --> 00:04:59,390
I'm not as scary, likely
just as annoying, but.

84
00:05:00,130 --> 00:05:03,410
At least you don't have to get,
you know, chains and rattles

85
00:05:03,410 --> 00:05:05,850
and kind of nonsense, right?

86
00:05:06,090 --> 00:05:08,850
And you certainly don't have to risk
getting the puke on your shoes that

87
00:05:08,850 --> 00:05:10,589
you might if you go ask a local drunk.

88
00:05:12,310 --> 00:05:16,730
So from the Christmas Carol, let's,
let's delve into these ghosts.

89
00:05:17,849 --> 00:05:23,490
Jacob Marley called Scrooge's attention
to, you don't got to figure it out.

90
00:05:23,580 --> 00:05:26,750
And if you don't get your crap
together, it doesn't end well.

91
00:05:27,270 --> 00:05:28,080
Wake up call.

92
00:05:28,950 --> 00:05:30,190
Hopefully you have that friend.

93
00:05:30,210 --> 00:05:31,250
Hopefully they're not a ghost.

94
00:05:32,595 --> 00:05:35,595
But if you don't, here's
your wake up call.

95
00:05:36,045 --> 00:05:37,635
We all have room to grow.

96
00:05:38,135 --> 00:05:41,525
There are things that are important, and
this is a good time for self-reflection.

97
00:05:41,525 --> 00:05:45,215
So while you, if you accept that
you have room to grow, then we can

98
00:05:45,215 --> 00:05:50,015
take lessons from the other three
ghosts, the ghost of Christmas passed.

99
00:05:50,855 --> 00:05:54,605
Take a look back over
this last several years.

100
00:05:55,115 --> 00:06:00,085
Now, I don't know how many Christmases you
have under your belt, but I bet you have.

101
00:06:01,090 --> 00:06:05,450
More than a few memories, good
or bad, it doesn't matter.

102
00:06:05,979 --> 00:06:09,479
I'm not, it's not a judgment on
good or bad, but I bet you have

103
00:06:09,479 --> 00:06:12,130
more than a few good or bad memories
associated with the holidays.

104
00:06:13,070 --> 00:06:17,130
Review the years in your mind's eye is
actually really an easy point to work

105
00:06:17,130 --> 00:06:24,409
off of because utilizing Christmas
as a takeoff point for thinking about

106
00:06:24,409 --> 00:06:28,130
those years of your life is actually
a lot easier because it's such a major

107
00:06:28,130 --> 00:06:31,919
holiday that it can effectually serve
as a time marker for your memory.

108
00:06:33,245 --> 00:06:37,985
So if you can't remember all these, you
know, five years, 10 years, whatever

109
00:06:37,985 --> 00:06:44,045
for you think specifically around the
Christmas time, your general demeanor

110
00:06:44,235 --> 00:06:48,575
about the year will be reflected
in your memories of this holiday.

111
00:06:49,685 --> 00:06:53,195
Was it stressful and difficult or
was it full of joy and laughter?

112
00:06:53,695 --> 00:06:54,965
What made it so?

113
00:06:55,925 --> 00:07:00,455
Now consider lingering there for a
few minutes and see where you've been.

114
00:07:01,280 --> 00:07:04,280
What made years great and
what made them difficult?

115
00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:09,929
Look back, take stock, and it can be
three years, five years, ten years,

116
00:07:09,929 --> 00:07:15,289
whatever years you can think back and
review where you've been, what your life

117
00:07:15,289 --> 00:07:17,729
looked like, and how that makes you feel.

118
00:07:19,159 --> 00:07:21,629
Then we're going to jump forward
to the ghosted Christmas present.

119
00:07:23,140 --> 00:07:26,580
Once you've spent some time stepping
through the past, bring it up to now.

120
00:07:27,260 --> 00:07:28,909
How are you feeling about
the holiday this year?

121
00:07:30,210 --> 00:07:35,440
Not as a, are you a holiday person, but
like I said, your general demeanor for the

122
00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:37,270
year is often reflected in the holidays.

123
00:07:37,700 --> 00:07:40,640
So take stock of the year, where you are.

124
00:07:41,079 --> 00:07:42,320
Is it where you hoped to be?

125
00:07:42,340 --> 00:07:43,750
Is it where you wanted to be?

126
00:07:45,010 --> 00:07:48,149
If it's not where you wanted to
be or where you, what you hoped

127
00:07:48,150 --> 00:07:50,530
it would be, what'd you miss?

128
00:07:50,619 --> 00:07:51,549
Why isn't it?

129
00:07:52,389 --> 00:07:53,920
What should you have done differently?

130
00:07:54,780 --> 00:07:56,720
Have you been present this year?

131
00:07:56,730 --> 00:07:57,750
Not a present.

132
00:07:58,360 --> 00:07:59,920
No one wants to see you
wrapped up in a bow.

133
00:08:00,525 --> 00:08:04,665
But present in your relationships,
in your undertakings, in your

134
00:08:05,525 --> 00:08:09,704
missions, in your goals, have you
been present in those moments?

135
00:08:09,704 --> 00:08:14,495
Do you embrace the moment while you
are still planning the goals ahead,

136
00:08:15,024 --> 00:08:19,464
but still embracing the now have you
treated the people that matter to you?

137
00:08:20,314 --> 00:08:22,054
Well, how have you treated them?

138
00:08:22,055 --> 00:08:24,735
How are those people
interacting in your life?

139
00:08:25,025 --> 00:08:28,105
Are you being kind to people you
encounter, whether you know them or not?

140
00:08:28,965 --> 00:08:31,745
What is your outlook on this year?

141
00:08:32,110 --> 00:08:33,970
And we're just talking about 2023.

142
00:08:34,230 --> 00:08:39,380
We know that 2020, 2021, 2022,
definitely some rough patches for a lot

143
00:08:39,380 --> 00:08:46,850
of people, but how has this year been
for your overall goals and outlook?

144
00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:48,540
Think about that.

145
00:08:50,340 --> 00:08:53,709
We've already visited the past and
looked at how past years have been.

146
00:08:54,165 --> 00:08:57,515
And for some of us, we may have to
skip over those ghastly years of,

147
00:08:58,265 --> 00:09:02,915
uh, you know, the dreaded, ahem,
that we shall not name, right?

148
00:09:04,345 --> 00:09:07,155
Now let's jump ahead to the
Ghost of Christmas Future.

149
00:09:08,194 --> 00:09:13,374
Now, an important note is that in the
book, the Ghost of Christmas Future

150
00:09:13,634 --> 00:09:19,734
could show Ebenezer no more than
you or I already could unpack as a

151
00:09:19,734 --> 00:09:23,055
likelihood based on his past and present.

152
00:09:24,065 --> 00:09:29,555
In fact, he shows him shades of things,
quote on shades, air quotes, if you're

153
00:09:29,555 --> 00:09:37,474
listening, shades of things that could
be, possibilities, not a guarantee.

154
00:09:38,125 --> 00:09:42,115
Just like we have the power to
unpack the first two ghosts today

155
00:09:42,554 --> 00:09:47,735
and examine our own past and the last
year for us and things like that, you

156
00:09:47,745 --> 00:09:53,340
have the power to see the possible
Shades air quotes of what's to come.

157
00:09:54,640 --> 00:10:00,490
If you say just like you are now,
make no changes in the coming year.

158
00:10:01,730 --> 00:10:04,600
Where will you be come Christmas 2024?

159
00:10:05,770 --> 00:10:08,830
How will you, how will
your year have gone?

160
00:10:09,539 --> 00:10:10,349
Will it be better?

161
00:10:10,899 --> 00:10:13,040
The same worse?

162
00:10:14,579 --> 00:10:17,760
How will that differ if
you make some changes?

163
00:10:19,839 --> 00:10:25,949
Because just like in the book,
the ghost was just making educated

164
00:10:25,949 --> 00:10:27,610
guests based on the patterns.

165
00:10:27,969 --> 00:10:33,430
You can do the same thing, and if you
don't like the way it looks looking

166
00:10:33,430 --> 00:10:40,090
forward to 2024 Christmas 2024 a year
from this time period, well then you

167
00:10:40,090 --> 00:10:44,260
need to examine what changes you wanna
make and start putting that together.

168
00:10:45,850 --> 00:10:48,699
I actually have a special surprise
for you for next week's show.

169
00:10:48,970 --> 00:10:53,640
We're sitting down with a good friend of
mine who's gonna help us really dig into

170
00:10:53,970 --> 00:10:57,489
making 2024 the year you want it to be.

171
00:10:58,030 --> 00:10:59,200
Alex is incredible.

172
00:10:59,755 --> 00:11:03,805
Uh, putting together goals and actually
achieving them very effectively.

173
00:11:04,095 --> 00:11:08,085
And he's going to help us put together
really practical plans to make 2024

174
00:11:08,095 --> 00:11:10,564
better in case that Christmas future.

175
00:11:10,585 --> 00:11:12,254
Isn't looking as bright
as you'd like it to be.

176
00:11:13,985 --> 00:11:16,975
Maybe we don't need four ghosts
to scare the crap out of us.

177
00:11:18,764 --> 00:11:23,695
I don't know that you're that hard
hearted or that hard headed factually.

178
00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:28,180
If you were, you might not actually be
listening to this podcast, but if you're

179
00:11:28,180 --> 00:11:32,580
listening to this show, you're probably
already in the mindset of looking for

180
00:11:32,580 --> 00:11:34,160
some positive change in your life.

181
00:11:35,300 --> 00:11:38,380
This beloved story can certainly
give us something to think about.

182
00:11:39,229 --> 00:11:40,689
Whether you like Christmas or not.

183
00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:44,460
You have to admit there's something
magical about this time of year.

184
00:11:45,060 --> 00:11:47,620
People are kinder in general
and that's always magical.

185
00:11:48,879 --> 00:11:51,259
Go watch the Memphis Christmas
Carol with Michael Caine.

186
00:11:51,850 --> 00:11:52,950
It's fun for the whole family.

187
00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:54,349
It'll put a smile on your face.

188
00:11:55,030 --> 00:11:58,629
And then take a few minutes of self
reflection during this holiday season.

189
00:11:59,609 --> 00:12:03,910
And remember, it's not Christmas until you
see Hans Gruber fall from Nakatomi Tower.

190
00:12:04,990 --> 00:12:07,970
From all of us here at The
Fallible Man, Merry Christmas.

191
00:12:08,735 --> 00:12:11,925
And as always be better tomorrow
because of what you do today.

192
00:12:11,935 --> 00:12:12,855
And we'll see on the next one.

193
00:12:15,165 --> 00:12:19,425
This has been the fallible man
podcast, your home for everything,

194
00:12:19,525 --> 00:12:21,615
man, husband, and father.

195
00:12:22,485 --> 00:12:23,575
Be sure to subscribe.

196
00:12:23,575 --> 00:12:24,785
So you don't miss a show.

197
00:12:25,575 --> 00:12:26,794
Head over to www.

198
00:12:27,815 --> 00:12:27,995
thefallibleman.

199
00:12:29,255 --> 00:12:37,759
com for more content and get
your own fallible man gear.