3 Powerful Lessons Learned From a Christmas Cookie
Patience and abundance go hand and hand
Keep your best wishes close to your heart, and watch what happens. ―Tony DeLiso
In my high school years, I was a very prolific baker at Christmas time. The baking would start right after Thanksgiving. I would make my list of cookies for that year, some traditional and some new. Tin upon tin of cookies, wax paper between the layers, would be put into the freezer. I sent some to family and friends, and the rest I saved for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There was a bounty to share with everyone. On my 100-days of studying abundance, I was reminded of this sweet tradition, baking some cookies yesterday.
As I was baking lebkuchen, a German spice cookie, I learned some powerful lessons. The kitchen was filled with the scent of sweet spices, ringing in the season of joy. Each step I took in the process brought back memories of celebrations. Baking these cookies taught me some powerful lessons.
Good Things Come to Those Who Wait:
This lebkuchen recipe is one that takes time and preparation. You must make the dough the night before and chill it for eight hours. After that comes rolling, cutting, baking, and glazing. Once the cookies are ready, more patience is needed. For the flavors to meld and the cookies to soften, you must store them in a tin with apple slices on top for around one month.
My husband asked if the cookies would be ready faster than that. I told him it might be possible, but you have to be patient. These cookies take care, patience, and faith. You have to change the apple slices regularly, and then you will be rewarded with a beautifully soft spice cookie.
It is the same in life. With the speed of the internet, we think we can have everything in an instant. We often check our email, social media, and more several times a day. None of that constant checking brings us any more abundance. If we are patient and diligent, working on our dreams one day at a time, we will see the fruits of our labor in time. I have found that more comes to me when I stop obsessing over something than if I keep checking up on it.
Focus on One Thing At A Time:
When making the glaze for these cookies, I noticed the power of focus. It is paramount to stand at the stove patiently while the sugar and water boil. You must check the temperature to make sure it is right. Then, at the right moment, you take the mixture off the heat and add in the powdered sugar. Curiously, this year my glaze turned out perfectly. It had never turned out quite as shiny and beautiful before.
When we slow down and focus on one thing until it is complete, just like I did with the cookie glaze, we will find that our days will be calmer. We will accomplish more by paying attention to only one thing at a time. Once in a while, I can still be tempted to do some other tasks while I am writing, but when I do, I pay the price. My day begins to feel frantic, my energy is off, and things don’t flow as they should.
Share in Your Abundance:
It was a joy to box up some of those cookies to share with loved ones across the miles. As I layered the cookies in their containers, I felt abundance in my heart. When we make something with care and attention, that same joy flows to others. Knowing that these cookies will bring some cheer to those that I love fills my heart with glee.
Through this, I learned that we must share all that we have in life. There is always something to give. Giving kind words, encouragement, a card in the mail, a smile, a text, a compliment can bring you the joy that you have been seeking. Give away what you most desire. It will come back to you in some form, no matter what. Trust that your faith in life will double and triple in outcomes for you.
My prayer and my intention for you today is to: have patience with your goals, focus on one thing at a time, and give with all of your heart. These lessons will bring light and love into each of your days. The more you can focus on trust and patience, the more miracles will come to you.
Day #33: What can you focus on today that will bring you abundance?
I am tagging some amazing fellow writers on this journey. They joined me on my 100-day spiritual journey and it is an honor to have them here on this journey. I ask that you read their beautiful work here on Medium. Thank you for your generosity! Bob Jasper, Charlotte Zobeir Ali, Rasheed Hooda, Jenine Bsharah Baines, Amy Marley, Gurpreet Dhariwal, Aurora Eliam, CMP, Chowa Sekai, Michele Thill, Terry Mansfield, Tony Young, Jr., Dr John Rose, Vishnu*s Virtues, Noma Dek, Neha Sandhir S, Isha Tewari Srivastava, Art Bram, Joe Luca, Tree Langdon, Sherry S, Melissa Bee, Annelise Lords, Suntonu Bhadra, Henery X, Lanu Pitan, Selma, Annick Batamuliza, Taha Abbas, and many more! Thank you Illumination, Genius in a Bottle, Paper Poetry, and Medium Family!
Trista Signe Ainsworth is a Professional Organizer at Joyful Minimalism. She guides clients on a personal growth journey through their homes.
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