It seems appropriate that I write this on a bleak, grey winter’s day in London. I’ve just finished reading Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. I’m reluctant to admit I’d never read any Dickens before. With so many movie versions, who needs to?

Expecting flowery, complicated prose, but figuring it something ‘one should do’, I made a project of reading it with my son, it being the season. I was delightfully surprised to find it witty and engaging. I imagined the narrator’s voice a sort of Jason Segel of the mid-1800s. At one point, I laughed out loud.

Something that tickled me is how the story perfectly illustrates the power of coaching. What are the ghosts but coaches, showing Scrooge his past and present to see what’s worked and what hasn’t, and hear the impact of his own words. Then, looking to the future to see his trajectory and where changes could be made to create more desired outcomes. All the work of a coach, just without appearing spookily in the middle of the night and less weird outfits — usually.

The book was also far more moving than any film versions I’ve seen. Several parts struck deep, such as when Jacob Marley visits as a ghost, bemoaning his misspent life. Scrooge tries to console him by commending his great business acumen while alive. But what Marley now realises is: “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance and benevolence were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”

I, too, can get so caught up in the rat-race and being busy making a living and a life that I become insular and fail to see past my own front door. Christmas is a good reminder of sharing and giving but perhaps I need to work on achieving the important ‘business of mankind’ — making a difference, creating community, helping others — beyond December.

Like Scrooge, I too could remember to exercise the power we each have to bring a little joy to the world — or not. It’s so easy and costs us nothing to say a kind word, have patience, do something nice for someone and the effects are priceless.

“While there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.” Particularly important, I think, to remember during flu season.

Scrooge learns that what we’ve done isn’t nearly as important as what we do now; how we choose to go forward. He vows to live by those lessons from his past, present and future. Not just at Christmas, but always.

So whatever we celebrate, be it Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Eid al-Fitr, you name it; even if it’s just the pleasure of a day off or time-and-a-half … may we too keep the intended good feeling and generous spirit of these occasions in our hearts all the year. A happy holiday to us, every one!

• Julia Pitt is a trained success coach and certified NLP practitioner on the team at Benedict Associates. For further information contact Julia on 705-7488, www.juliapittcoaching.com.