LEAVE THE COOKIES OUT FOR SANTA - PART TWO

In the first part of this blog, I discussed how expectancy is a lesson we can extract from the simple act of children leaving cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve. In this second part, the focus shifts to gratitude. Gratitude is not only a feeling of appreciation for the kindness or goodness we’ve received but also extends to the hope of better things yet to come.

Children exhibit a pure and innocent display of gratitude when they set aside Santa’s midnight snack long before they’ve seen anything in the form of a gift. They are so confident in the good that will happen for them that they don’t wait for its manifestation before feeling grateful. Read that line again... and again.

The tragedy for many of us is that, as life brings issues and challenges, it grabs hold of us, and we lose that childlike appreciation and gratitude for things not yet seen. The old adage “you have to see it to believe it” takes a toll on our ability to feel and show gratitude unless we witness the manifestation of the good and pleasing things we hope for. Sadly, this deficiency can infect multiple areas of our lives if we allow it to.

The simple act of feeling grateful can extend to various areas of our lives: from achieving a goal you’ve yet to attain, to appreciating that the right partner is already on the way, to becoming debt-free, to passing an exam—the list goes on. There are no boundaries or limits to what you can feel profound gratitude and appreciation for, even before it comes to pass. Simply knowing it will happen can be enough to begin expressing gratitude.

Ultimately, the more gratitude and appreciation you feel, the more will pour into your life to be grateful and appreciative for.