Forbes had a great article, that made me think about the Three Things We Could Learn From Scrooge .

Make Your Employees And Colleagues Happy

“He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil.”

Before his reformation, Ebenezer Scrooge was a miserable person and employer. If you recall, at the height of winter, Scrooge's employee had to make do with one piece of coal to keep him warm. Scrooge reluctantly gave his employee the day off for Christmas, but not without calling his employee named Cratchit a thief. Cratchit was grateful for the day off, and toasted to  Scrooge in the privacy of his own home at Christmas dinner.  Maybe we can learn something from Cratchit too.    Your character is something that others will speak of, in your absence.  I want my character to be affirmed by others, not my words but my actions. 

Money Is A Means To An End; Not Its Own End

“His wealth is of no use to him. He don’t do any good with it. He don’t make himself comfortable with it.”

As the spirits show Scrooge his past, present and future, we have a better understanding of how Scrooge became the man he was.   Scrooge was born poor and friendless,  but he made his way through the world determined that he would leave poverty behind him.  I can relate to Scrooge in that regards.  When you grow up poor, you work that much harder for the things you have, and the dreams you have yet to realize. 

Unfortunately Scrooge singlemindedly focused on wealth and status, the rest of his life, fiance, and hope of a family fell to the wayside. Scrooge’s fiancee broke off their engagement, because he cared more for gain, “Another idol has displaced me; and if it can cheer and comfort you in time to come, as I would have tried to do, I have no just cause to grieve.”  What is the lesson?  Money is a tool, like any other. It’s a means to accomplishing an end. It’s not an end in and of itself.

Live A Life Without Fear

“He’s a comical old fellow,” said Scrooge’s nephew, “that’s the truth: and not so pleasant as he might be. However, his offences carry their own punishment, and I have nothing to say against him.”

Scrooge was still the scared little boy, alone at Christmas with only his books for companions. Despite his intelligence and business success, Scrooge was never able to shake those fears. As a consequence, he never embraced the world around him. Money became his only love in his life, and he was misreable of the thought that someone would take that away from him.