As I see it, there are four main parts to this song: abuse, ostracism, purpose and legacy. Let me explain. The little ditty begins with the naming of the various reindeer, then gets to Rudolph, who, we are told,
“Had a very shiny nose And if you ever saw it You would even say it glows.”
For some reason, this point of difference became the subject of ridicule. The other reindeer refused to see his uniqueness as a good thing, but a different thing, for which he was subjected to chastisement:
“All of the other reindeer Used to laugh and call him names.”
The abuse then moved on to ostracism, as the others denied him the fun and pleasure that came with playing with one another.
“They never let poor Rudolph Join in any reindeer games.”
The arrival of Santa Claus, however, brought about the transformation of Rudolph, because Santa realized that, because of difficult weather conditions, this particular reindeer had a unique advantage over his mates. We hear:
“Then one foggy Christmas Eve Santa came to say ‘Rudolph, with your nose so bright Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?’”
Because of the light that emanated from his face – particularly from his nose – Rudolph was able to become the leader, the guide, the one who could so naturally show the way. Now that he had been transformed from the black sheep – you’ll pardon the mixed metaphor – to the special one, he was suddenly beloved by his peers
“Then how the reindeer loved him”
As a result of his leadership, he was now regarded as not just one who had saved that particular Christmas, but one who was hailed for all posterity:
“As they shouted out with glee ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer You’ll go down in history.’”
He became:
“The most famous reindeer of all.”
Rudolph and You Now that you see the deeper significance of this beloved carol, and of the transformation of this ostracized reindeer into a leader of reindeer, we’ll see how the story of Rudolph can help you connect to your purpose. Santa Claus’s recognition that Rudolph had an asset that Santa needed that nobody else saw is reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz seeing the brain, the heart, and the courage in the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, who each felt they lacked the very quality that the wizard saw in them. Sometimes you need a guru, a life coach, or a wizard to help you see your uniqueness.
Santa saw how Rudolph could make a difference in his universe and perform the valuable function of navigating his team of reindeer in challenging climatic conditions. What is it in you that can help you make a difference in your universe? You don’t need a shiny nose that others say glows. But you do have something else in you that glows, a light in you that makes you shine. Bringing this unique light of yours into the world is one of the major reasons that you’re here in the first place. It’s what you’re intended to do in the world, so you can make the world a much better place. The yogis call this dharma, doing what you’re here to do.
Advertising legend Rosser Reeves coined the term, “unique selling proposition” (USP) in the middle of the 20 th century. Avis, because it was number two in the car rental market, positioned itself as “We try harder.” Heinz transformed the slow movement of the condiment out of its bottle into a positive (think Rudolph’s red nose) by trumpeting its USP as: “Too thick to win a ketchup race.” In its early days in the U.S. market, Volkswagen, which couldn’t compete with American cars on size, reversed the tables by imploring consumers to “Think small.”
The concept of the USP speaks to the unique benefits of a particular product or service that enable it to stand out from the crowd of competitors. The word unique means one of a kind. You have a unique selling proposition in that there is nobody in the world like you; even if you have a twin, you’re unique. Highlighting that uniqueness allows you to have no competition.
Rudolph became the “most famous reindeer in the world” because someone recognized his uniqueness. Recognizing your uniqueness, the talent or combination of talents that make you tick, can make you the most famous person you can be, whether that becomes worldwide, or just in your little portion of the world.