Spending the weekend at the Gaylord National Hotel Resort at the National Harbor in Washington, D.C. this weekend has made me think a lot about Santa. Be it the hundreds of kids swarming the atrium eagerly waiting for the next Pixar Christmas show, the ICE sculpture show that boasted at least seven different over-sized iced Santas, or the Christmas music that seems to come out of every white-lit tree in the National Harbor, Santa seems to be everywhere.
I can still remember the last time I mailed a letter to Santa. I remember the exact details of the make-shift box at the Locust Grove Post Office and the reassuring smile that the postmaster gave me when I needed confirmation that my letter would in fact go directly to the North Pole. It’s a shame that I stopped writing letters to Santa; it’s a shame that we all do. There is so much value in writing down one’s hopes, dreams, and desires and setting them free with confidence that they will be fulfilled.
Writing your own Dear, Santa letter as an adult may be one of the best things you do for yourself this year. And while I’m not suggesting that you send it to the North Pole, I do urge you to put your letter somewhere safe where you can re-read it in the future. Decide what exactly it that, that “all I want for Christmas” desire, and, as a result, your direction this holiday season and in 2012 will be right on track to fulfill your dreams. Life is simple really, if you don’t know where you want to go, you will never get there. Decide where you want to go, dream big, and then wait with eager confidence as the days before you unfold.