The Family Man is my favourite Christmas movie.

I try to watch it every year, and I love all the little jokes. The jabs at the man who doesn't know the first thing about changing a diaper, who whines about having to walk the dog, and doesn't know how to stop the baby from crying.

Those jokes are cute, but it's the central message of the film that brings me to tears each time:

It's about a man who slowly realizes that it's not wealth and power that make him great. It's his ability to sacrifice his strength for benefit of the weak, to put the needs of others above his own, and to value connection over ambition.

In case you've never watched it, The Family Man is a warm-hearted blend of A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life. In it, a charming, likeable, wealthy man falls asleep on Christmas Eve and wakes up in an alternate life - the life he could have had if he'd made choices that followed his heart, rather than his head.

At first, all he can see is what he's lost: his high-paying job, the respect of everyone on Wall Street, his expensive wardrobe and flashy sports car.

But as time goes on and he continues to live this alternate life, the tables start to turn. He begins to realize that although his house is messy, it's filled with love. He may not have the designer clothes, but his soul is full. His calendar may be unpredictable and chaotic, but he's depended upon and has value.

When he finally wakes up from his dream and returns to his life of wealth and ease, he scrambles to find a way to recreate what he's lost, tracking down the former girlfriend he once walked away from but now realizes he's always loved.

In a dramatic airport scene, he pleads, "You and I could walk away right now, and I know we'd both be fine. But I've seen what we can be when we're together. And I choose us".

This year, choose togetherness. Chase encounters with friends and family. Value experiences and community over isolation.

Our connections to others are just as difficult to accumulate and grow as wealth is, but they resonate and fulfill on a deeper level.

In an economy that is constantly stoking our desires and driving us to accumulate more and more, be a rebel and turn away from all that.

Choose connection instead.

What Happens When We Choose Connection

The importance of connection for a deeper level of happiness.

What will you write today?