I was half-watching, half petting my tiny dog, half-wondering why I always end up rewatching random Hallmark-adjacent Christmas movies (yes, my math is terrible), when I found myself tuning into Same Time, Next Christmas. And there was a plot twist for me in that the male lead was the same guy who starred in the last two random movies I stumbled upon. I swear I didn’t seek him out. I am being stalked by the Hallmark Cinematic Universe. Just one a sidenote, I usually watch darker films but lately at night in the holiday season I have Hallmark movies as a guilty pleasure. But I digress and back to the movie.

There came a line that made me stop, rewind, and go “Well, huh.”
The father figure tells the lovelorn male lead: “You can’t climb a ladder with your hands in your pockets.”

On the surface, it sounds like the kind of homespun wisdom you’d find embroidered on a pillow in a Vermont gift shop. But the more I sat with it, the more I realized that this is a whole therapy session disguised as holiday fluff.


If you’ve ever climbed a ladder or attempted to it’s clear your hands matter. Hands stabilize you. They keep you balanced. They stop you from falling flat on your dignity. They are your built-in risk-management system.

So why would we metaphorically shove them in our pockets?
Because pockets feel safe. Cozy. Familiar. Like the emotional equivalent of staying under the covers scrolling memes instead of facing the day.

When we keep our hands tucked away, it’s because we’re holding back. We’re thinking, “Hmm, maybe I won’t climb today.”
Or: “What if I fall?”
Or: “What if I get up there and realize the view isn’t worth the climb?”

It’s procrastination wearing fleece-lined comfort.


Taking your hands out of your pockets is the smallest, quietest act of bravery. You’re not shouting, “Look at me!” You’re just preparing. Readying yourself. Signaling to your body and the universe that you’re willing to climb.

In psychology, this is called a micro-step which is the tiniest move that breaks inertia. And once those hands are out, you’re more likely to grab the rung, steady yourself, and move upward.

Even if you’re scared. Even if you’re not sure the ladder is sturdy. Even if you’re climbing toward someone who may or may not be worth the emotional altitude.


Apparently, yes. The hands are the action. The dare is in the reach.
No one ever says, “She boldly kept her hands in her pockets while reaching for the stars.”


Maybe this is the season of ladder-climbing energy. Maybe it’s about finally making a move whether that’s sending a message, applying for a thing, booking the ticket, or deciding to dream bigger.

Maybe it’s remembering you don’t climb with perfection. You climb with presence. With a little wobble. With hands open, ready, available.

Because the truth is you can’t rise if you’re still holding back.And you can’t hold on if your hands are buried in fear or fleece.


So cheers to winter wisdom, accidental movie marathons, and unexpected therapy sessions delivered by fictional dads. May we all take our hands out of our pockets and grab the next rung.

Preferably while drinking hot chocolate and wearing fuzzy socks.