December 24, 2023: Joy to the World!
December 24, 2023: Joy to the World!
How do you show up?
"May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility."
- Mary Anne Radmacher
Happy holidays and a very Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! I hope you are surrounded by friends, family, and joy as today’s brief holiday message reaches you.
Regardless of faith, customs, or beliefs, this time of year is a wonderful time to reconnect, show love and goodwill toward others, and provides an opportunity to reflect on what is most important in life. Spirits renew with excitement and optimism brings joy to our lives through gatherings, special traditions, food, and music.
One song that brightens my day is "Joy to the World," a popular English Christmas carol written in 1719 by English minister and hymnist Isaac Watts. However, the song as we know it wasn’t set to the music we recognize today until 1848. It took well over one hundred years for “Joy to the World” to popularize and boost the spirts of countless people each year. "Joy to the World" is now the most-published Christmas hymn in North America. Watts had put ink to paper to write the song’s verses without ever knowing or realizing how popular those words would become. We just don’t ever know how long it will take for today’s efforts to pay dividends. Regardless, we must show up each day striving to make a difference … even bringing some joy to the world.
In “Joy to the World,” Watts lyricized “Repeat the sounding joy.” As we celebrate this holiday season, what is your joy? How will you show your appreciation for your gifts? There are many parts of life that bring me joy, I am thankful for all of them. My family, friends, work, and striving for a life of purpose rise to the top.
One of those good friends recently told me about Alex Sheen’s wonderful “Because I said I would” TedX talk. Sheen ends his presentation with a powerful quote he likes to share. “You can pretend to care, but you cannot pretend to show up.”
As a leader and coach, each day I show up with purpose, to use the power of school activities to make the world a better place. How will you show up – and spread joy – this coming year?
“When you are joyful, when you say yes to life and have fun and project positivity all around you, you become a sun in the center of every constellation, and people want to be near you.”
– Shannon Alder
This week’s Chasing Influence tip: Gratitude rebounds. The more you give, the more it bounces back. Make it a habit, it will improve your well-being.
Update on Chasing Influence
The Minnesota State High School Coaches Association executive secretary, Rick Ringeisen, wrote a great piece highlighting Chasing Influence in the association’s December publication. Look for Reflections by Ringer on page four here.
Chasing Influence will be available as an Audiobook in mid-January.
Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life is available in Kindle, softcover, and hardcover editions (with an Audiobook on the way!).
A series of three Chasing Influence workbooks are now available! Each workbook contains 33 lessons to use with any team.
For additional resources, links to podcast appearances, and other Chasing Influence news, click here.
[1] ©Troy Urdahl, 2023