My six year old daughter just penned and sent her first letter to Santa. The two things she asked for were a package of mint chewing gum [check!] and ALL the superpowers in the world... After some contemplation and careful consideration Santa wrote back to her - here is his reply.
Dear Tatiana,
Thank you so much for writing to me... I am very proud of you for trying your best to write your list and spell everything on your own. You are doing a great job! Keep up the good work!
I wanted to write back to you immediately because I have a secret to share with you. You asked for ALL the superpowers, didn't you? That was a very clever request so you deserve to be let in on the most important secret...
Superpowers cannot be granted. Superpowers live within us. We all have the innate ability to access all different kinds of superpowers, but we can only start using them if we set a meaningful intention that truly matters to us ... It's not enough to simply wish to be able to fly because you want to be faster than your brother... You really need to believe that the world will be a better place if you can fly. I really wanted to deliver toys to all the kids in the world in one night so I believed I could do it... and when I put my heart and mind to it I realized that my reindeer and sleigh could fly.
But intention on its own is not enough. You have to try and try again and know that you will likely not succeed initially, but if you keep trying long and hard enough then one day it will just happen. You will be able to read THAT book, or do THAT handstand, or speak THAT other language, or run faster, climb higher, multiply quicker, play an instrument better than you were able to the day before.
Tatiana, do you remember the time when you didn't know how to read but you really wanted to unlock the secrets all those books held for you? You kept sitting there with books in your hand and trying to first make out the different letters... then the different sight words... until suddenly, without even realizing it you didn't have to try that hard anymore? And words, and sentences and stories were just pouring out of all the books... You finally managed to unlock the secret of all the books by accessing your Reading Superpower. You worked hard, and you earned the right to your reading power. You deserved it!!! Whoa, pretty cool, isn't it?
So as much as I'd like to grant your wish, I can't give you any superpowers because superpowers have to be deserved. But you should remember that whenever you REALLY want something you can make your dream a reality by being clear on what you want and why, and diligently working on the skills you need.
And you should also know that I will always be there watching you and cheering for you and being very proud of you as you keep unlocking your superpowers one after the other. In the meantime I will leave a few of my favorite books on Superpowers under your tree, next to the package of mint chewing gum. Do you prefer Spearmint or Peppermint? I'm a Peppermint kind of guy myself...
Ho Ho Ho!
Your Friend,
Santa Claus