Give the Eternal Holiday Gift: Rising Up to Transform Darkness into Light
As the holiday season unfolds, it’s easy to get swept up in the rush of buying and giving gifts—objects that often become obsolete, forgotten, or discarded over time. Yet, there is a deeper call for us as men during this season. It’s not about giving things that can be bought but offering a gift that is eternal.
Our true duty as men, especially during the holidays, is to give a gift that transcends time and space—a gift that provides for our families, friends, and communities in a lasting and meaningful way. This gift isn’t material; it’s the commitment to transform tragedy into triumph, to bring light into darkness, and to embody the eternal responsibility of rising above our nature.
The Holiday Season: A Reflection of the Human Journey
It’s no coincidence that our most sacred holidays—Christmas, Hanukkah, and ancient solstice traditions—occur during the darkest depths of the year. These holy days aren’t set in the spring, when life blooms with hope and renewal, nor in the summer, when the sun shines brightest and the world feels alive with ease and warmth.
Instead, they take place during the winter solstice, when the days are shortest and the nights longest—when the external season mirrors our internal reality: the human journey is fraught with darkness, cold, and challenges. Left to our own devices, this truth can feel overwhelming, even paralyzing.
But as men, our work is to rise up.
Our Call: To Become Supernatural
We are not here to live merely according to nature. The teachings of Judaism, Christianity, and the wisdom of Dr. Viktor Frankl all point to the same truth: our mission is to rise above nature, to defy circumstances, and to bring light into the darkest places.
Dr. Viktor Frankl, who survived the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust, embodied this principle in his life. He distilled his profound wisdom into the phrase:
“Transforming tragedy into triumph.”
Similarly, the Kabbalists, whose teachings deeply influenced Frankl, referred to this sacred work as “transforming darkness into light.”
Frankl reminded us that our ultimate freedom—the last of all human freedoms—is the power to choose our attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose our way. No matter how dire the external situation, we can rise above it.
This is the essence of the holiday season and the heart of the Man UPrising mission: to become supernatural, to go beyond the pull of despair, and to refuse to succumb to the circumstances that threaten to reduce us.
The Dark Season and the “Dark D’s”
The holidays come at a time when darkness—both literal and figurative—closes in. Seasonal affective disorder reminds us how easily the external world can shape our internal state. But the winter’s darkness is a metaphor for the deeper shadows we all face in life:
Distress
Disease
Despair
Devastation
Divorce
Depression
Death
These “dark D’s” descend upon every man at some point in life. They are part of the human journey. But they are not the end of the story.
Our calling as men in Man UPrising is to step into the darkness—not to be consumed by it but to transform it.
This is what it means to rise up:
To turn tragedy into triumph.
To transform despair into hope.
To bring light into the lives of those around us.
The Eternal Gift of a Man
This holiday season, our greatest gift isn’t one that can be bought or wrapped. It’s the gift of presence, of rising above our circumstances, and of choosing to live with purpose, no matter what.
Our duty as men is to provide something eternal—a foundation of strength, courage, and light for our families, friends, and communities. We are here to lead by example, to show that no darkness is too great to overcome, and to remind others, through our actions, that they too can choose their own way.
This is the essence of Man UPrising. It is the work of the second half of life: to rise above the natural pull of darkness, to defy the cold reality of despair, and to offer hope and meaning to those around us.
As We Celebrate
Let’s remember: this is not just a season of giving—it is a season of becoming.
Let’s become the men who transform darkness into light.
Let’s become the men who rise above.
Rise UP, and bring light into the world.
About the Author
Dr. Baruch HaLevi, aka B, is a logotherapist, teaching the work of Viktor Frankl, a spiritual guide, a men’s coach, and co-founder of Man UPrising. He is passionate about helping men rise above life’s challenges to live with purpose, courage, and meaning.
Learn more about Man UPrising, join a Man UPrising Peer Group, and explore the journey at manuprising.org.