Humbled by Christmas Lights
My Twitter survey indicated a minority make the right choice when choosing Christmas lights. An amazing 62% prefer white lights. I thought it tragic until yesterday.
Humbled by Christmas lights:
We’re minimalists when it comes to outside Christmas lights. But this year we hung a few strings of colored icicle lights. A little brightness livened up the season.
I laid the extension cord in the spouting, being careful to elevate the connection in case it rained. But the connection tragically became embedded in solid ice. It arced. My colored lights flickered and gave up the ghost.
At this point you’re thinking I’m an idiot. I can’t disagree.
Yesterday, I set up the ladder and took down our dead lights while the neighbors weren’t home. Yes, the very lights I bragged about on Twitter and Facebook. My wife threw them in the garbage.
I replaced our glorious colored lights with some white icicle lights our son gave us a few years ago.
Humility:
My wife tied a bow on my humiliation when she opened the door and laughed at me while I took this picture. (We both laughed.)
Lessons of the lights:
#1. The Rolling Stones were right, “You can’t always get what you want.”
#2. Humility is a good thing. When it comes to leadership, maybe it’s the best thing. (To adapt a line from Shawshank Redemption.)
#3. Don’t brag about your preferences.
#4. White lights are better than no lights.
Merry Christmas to my readers who observe the holiday. And happy holidays to all.
Combinations are good. Colored lights on the tree and white lights outside.
Dan, thanks for all your efforts to keep stretching our brains in new ways.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays, Paul. And thank you for all the great comments you left during the year.
Ahhh the tricky but fun world of Christmas lights. Not just colour or no, but style, scale, appropriateness….much like the tricky but fun world of leadership?? While I may have tried a little too hard to make the link there my purpose is to thank you for a year of excellent nuggets which get me thinking. As a result I often I try to do something differently that very day. Happy Christmas to you and namaste to other readers 🙏
Thanks Cazzaroonie. It’s a pleasure to be of service. Here’s to a happy end of the year.
Dan,
Oh I feel your pain with the light stringer, chalk it up as Oops, shouldn’t have done that! We were raised with color lights inside and out Circa 1960’s, as time progressed options have flooded the market, LEDs. Icicle’s, blinking with music etc. I find whatever makes someone happy is theirs and whatever makes me happy is mine. “Jesus” wore the cloak of many colors so I associate colors with Jesus and Christmas.
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate.
Thanks Tim. We decided that it doesn’t have to be pretty. It just has to be fun. Maybe that’s why ugly Christmas sweaters work! Merry Christmas Tim.
Dan,
A Merry Christmas to you. Thank you for being so reflective and sharing the wisdom that God has given you.
Thanks Michael. You be the judge if it’s wisdom. I’ll just put it out there. I learned a long time ago that it’s smart not to try to be smart. 🙂
Merry Christmas Dan! I enjoy all of our LF entries! I share these with a lot of people. You always bring a fresh perspective and I always get leadership nuggets of gold from them. Merry Christmas to you and yours Dan! Onward to 2021!
Thanks for the kind words, Dawn. And Merry Christmas to you and yours as well!!
PS – white lights all the way!
Ummm, I’m not so sure. 🙂
Merry Christmas Dan! Thank you for all you do to create and build better leaders!!
Merry Christmas Timothy! It’s my pleasure!
Merry Christmas Dan!
I so appreciate and value your thoughtful and relevant insights on leadership. Like everyone, I’m a work in progress and LF has contributed so much to my personal growth and development over the past year, and has given me tools to help others in their leadership journey as well. All the best for a fantastic 2021!
What a wonderful comment. Thank you Mark. Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year!
Merry Christmas, Dan. This year had me beginning a new leadership position I wanted so badly. Little did I know what would come along with that position. Never in a million years… Your articles have given me a chance to stop and ponder and know that I can do this! Thank you!
Congratulations on earning a new leadership position. The opportunity to make a difference comes with a price!
Merry Christmas Gina.
Merry Christmas! The fact that you put up lights! Amazing. Icicle lights get smashed against the house and each other in our Wyoming wind. Finally gave up to The Creator. Yours are beautiful.
Thanks for your daily postings. They like the Christmas lights give us hope, laughter and some wonderful ideas for the days to come.
Merry Christmas Nancy. One of the tougher leadership traits is the willing to stop doing what isn’t working. Seems like you’ve got that mastered.
Merry Christmas Mr. Rockwell!!!!
Merry Christmas Mr. Yeager! And happy New Year!
Dear Dan,
Merry Christmas to you and all in the family!
Liked your action of correcting what is not appealing to you and others. Leaders don’t hesitate to bring the desired changes with promptness that would lead to the final success. ‘Leading from the front’ can be a good attribute with others’ support. Which lights to choose is a part of dilemma what to decide when things are not progressing satisfactorily.
Your LF Posts are quite encouraging and adding to our wisdom of living a progressive life with new commitments with humility and sharpened skills.
Wishing you and all readers ‘happy holidays at home’ with restricted movements and safety measures in this critical season of uncertainty.