It’s the most wonderful time of the year! 🎶🎵
Ohh, there’s nothing quite like the Christmas spirit. Everywhere gets a little cozier, families
reunite, and chickens look a little more beautiful 🥰 (apologies to every chicken and
vegetarian🤲).
So, how’s it going for now, dear Pal? How’s the season treating ya? Stuffed your belly with lots
of jollof and ‘toh-ki’ already, I presume? 😉. I hope you’re not beating yourself about those goals you didn’t achieve? If you are, I know just the thing for you!
As I cannot send you boxed gifts over the internet, here’s my special gift to you- Christmas movie recommendations that spark the most beautiful emotions and reactions- joy, laughter, tears, inspiration, while sprinkling nuggets to keep you full of passion and determination. Without further ado, grab your popcorn, or small chops, and let’s get right into it!
It’s A Wonderful Life
When every other Christmas movie pays homage to a particular Christmas movie, then you
know it’s in a class of its own. “It’s a Wonderful Life” is the Idan gan gan of Christmas movies.
This 1946 classic movie takes us through the life of George Bailey, a young man who has big
dreams but never seems to reach them. If you’ve ever felt your work didn’t matter much, Bailey
would understand you perfectly.
One thing leads to another, and George’s heart is full of despair. He’s standing at a bridge,
ready to say goodbye to the world when an Angel stops him and takes him through what life
would have been like in his little city if he was never born.
He learns to be grateful and appreciative of the life he lives. He also discovers the value of his
actions for those around him. Kinda like you, putting in the work daily—those actions count,
fam! So, as you sip that chapman, ponder on how your everyday moves shape your career. Be
grateful for every opportunity you get to learn something new on the job. You may not be
working on your dream career, but you can be thankful for all you’ve learnt on the job and how
it can shape your dream career. Remember, it indeed is a wonderful life.
The Intern
Ben Whittaker (Robert DeNiro) is a lonely retiree who is about to redefine what internship
means. Bored with trying out new hobbies and taking adult education classes, Ben switches
things up when he decides to apply for a “Senior Intern Program” at “About the Fit”, an
ecommerce business headed by CEO, Jules Ostin, played by the ever-graceful Anne Hathaway.
Jules is constantly in work mode, you know, the perfect micromanager. She hardly ever leaves
tasks to her employees because in her opinion, no one else is capable. Then in comes Ben, the
senior age assistant who gives things a spin with his humility and willingness to learn (Gen Zs
might want to take note here…no offence meant biko 🙏), showing us the importance of lifelong learning.
Ben is a great listener, empathetic, relates well with his colleagues, and shows he’s a problem
solver when he comes in super early one morning to clean up the messy desk Jules always
complains about. Sometimes, it’s the little things that matter.
There’s so much more to learn from Ben. Maybe throw a sleepover with your work bestie,
where you both watch Ben in action and take note of all you learn from him. What the elder
can see sitting, the youngie can’t see even if he uses a drone, after all 🤷♀️🤷♂️. If you don’t gerrit,
forget about it! ✌🏼
Becoming Abi
What if all your career dreams and aspirations could come true with a snap of your finger?
When Abi, our lead character (played by Bolu Essien who doubles as the writer) gets hired as a
Client Service Personnel by Creative Lens, a marketing agency, she is more than excited. One
thing is- this dream job get k-leg. Lol. Of course, it comes with its own pot of wahala. Or did you
think she’d have it all figured out at once? Abi is a rookie who must work past myriads of challenges for the dream life she has envisioned.
In the six-episode office drama series, we see Abi rise in ranks as she learns to wade through the challenges that appear- from working with a mean boss to working with ‘incompetent’ interns who go and do amebo online with the company’s social accounts, to figuring out how to seal a good deal with the ego-centric client hitting on her, to even falling in love with a colleague (I did not send you to fall in love with that Yoruba demon in your office o).
I love that we see through Abi’s life that getting to the peak of our career or any endeavour at all, won’t always be a walk in the park. We’d have to bring in grit and be ready to chest the obstacles that come.
If you’d like to improve your emotional intelligence, creativity, communication, management and teambuilding skills, Abi is your guide.
I especially love the pop of colours on the screen and the series’ light heartedness. I saw it
exactly a year ago and wouldn’t mind seeing it again. Care to join? Cool, now let’s head over to
Netflix!
Elf
Will Ferrell plays the role of a 6-foot elf in this jolly Christmas movie. I remember chuckling with
my siblings in our living room as we watched this Christmas comedy for the first time in 2007.
It’s about an orphan who slips into Santa’s sack and has to start a life in the North Pole as one
of Santa’s little helpers. He is adopted as an Elf by an older Elf. Soon, Buddy the Elf gets really
big and struggles to fit in with the other little Elves. His ‘father’ reveals the truth that he’s human and his human father lives somewhere in New York city. It is at this point that he journeys into the human world in a bid to reunite with his real father.
What’s there to learn from this hilarious movie? Well, who says you can’t pick nuggets from a comedic Christmas movie?
Buddy shows us how to stay resilient in spite of challenges and how to adapt to new environments. As he navigates the real world in search of his identity, we are encouraged to find our passions and go for them, even when situations scream, ‘wahala, wahala, wahala’.
Buddy’s journey also teaches us to accept others for who they are. You know that colleague you can’t stand because of their accent or for some other petty reason (you yes, you), Buddy says to be a little nicer and accommodating.
So, like Buddy the Elf, whether you’re navigating a new job or starting out a new and daunting project, remember to spread joy, work through challenges, embrace diversity, and stay true to your unique self.
Home Alone
You thought I’d leave this classic out? ‘Course not! “Home Alone” is a classic holiday movie that’s more than just a hilarious adventure—you’d be surprised to find that there are subtle nuggets that can keep you winning in your learning and career journey come 2024.
Ever noticed how Kevin McCallister outsmarts the bandits using creativity and quick thinking? That’s a lesson right there! It teaches us the value of resourcefulness and thinking on our feet— qualities that come in handy when handling work challenges or tricky situations. We must applaud the 8-year-old for turning his time alone into an opportunity to learn, adapt, and take charge.
Let’s not forget about Kevin’s subtle lesson on teamwork—Kevin’s eventual teamwork with Marley, the old scary guy who cleans the snowy sidewalk shows just how building the right relationships and keying into the power of collaboration can be an effective strategy for winning. In fact, who would have thought they’d become a duo? Remember how scared Kevin was whenever Marley showed up? Another lesson right there- never judge a book by its cover.
That colleague you’ve been pushing aside might just be perfect collaborator for that little project you’re working on. So, as you snuggle under the covers watching “Home Alone” again, do remember these lessons and look out for more golden ones.
And there you go! 5 movies to fuel your CAN-DO spirit as you step into the new year. The holiday season is more than just merry moments; it’s a time to learn, reflect, and set the stage for a brilliant year ahead. Grab some popcorn or suya, relax, and let these movies not just entertain you but inspire and motivate you to inspire and aspire for an amazing 2024!
Which of these awesome movies have you seen? Did they make you cry, laugh, reflect? What super cool movies can you recommend for this holiday season? Happy holidays and cheers to a fantastic year ahead!
